


Never Practical

by IAmStoryteller



Series: Undaunted Courage [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin, Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Justice League - All Media Types, Shazam (DC Comics), Teen Titans, robin: son of batman
Genre: M/M, Marvel family, My dump of all the BillyDami ideas ever, Shazam Family, batfamily, fanfiction no longer fits in my life, i have no time, please use, working on my original stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 16:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11558601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmStoryteller/pseuds/IAmStoryteller
Summary: See inside for details.  Billy Batson and Damian Wayne fic dump





	Never Practical

**Author's Note:**

  * For [everyone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/everyone/gifts).



Never Practical

When the day has come  
That I’ve lost my way around  
And the seasons stop  
And hide beneath the ground  
When the sky turns gray  
And everything is screaming  
-Imagine Dragons “Bleeding Out”

There’s only a handful of us that like the Billy/Damian ship, which is totally cool. I always appreciate the kudos and the comments that I received. Unfortunately, I can’t do fanfiction much anymore. I’m working on compile a bunch of short stories, novellas and novels in universes of my own making with characters of my own making.

But the problem is that I have so many ideas for a bunch of stories that I will never write. It’s just not that I don’t think they are worth telling, because stories are very important. There’s just no time. So I have decided that on AO3 and Tumblr that I shall post all my fanfiction ideas for everyone. Naturally, I’m starting with all my Billy-Damian stories because I have so many of them.

(After that will be Bat-family related fanfiction stories, then Justice League related stories, a couple of stories in set various anime, but I will keeping the adventure stories that I have for Shazam/Captain Marvel and his family (with only Mary/Freddy the relationship amongst the teenagers) with me just in case someday I actually get to write the character for DC.)

I know that I have a small following (and I love you all because you’ve enjoyed my stories), but if anyone at all is inspired by any of these ideas, I want you to take them and use them. Put your own interpretation on it and share it with the world. Just put the link to this mess of stories in it for your followers to get to look at.

After I post this series of story ideas up, my last act on AO3 will be an original five-part short story series that is semi-autobiographical since I actually never really talk about myself on anything really (and it’s an experiment in personal kind of writing that I normally don’t do, so whatever, am I right?)

So without further ado, I present to you…

BILLY BATSON AND DAMIAN WAYNE CENTERED STORIES

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1\. Batman and Robin—Where Damian takes in his half-sister Helena, and Billy and Damian are in a so-not-secret relationship raising her.

2\. Justice Inc.—Where Damian was the first Batman and he is the leader of Justice Inc. with Billy. Super-husbands

3\. Shazam!—Billy and Damian are rivals, mostly

4\. The Batwoman—Damian is a blind Batman and Billy is the last powered hero and they are so together

5\. Tiny Titans—Where Damian starts his own Teen Titans verse and the whole team knows that Billy and Damian are together

6\. The League of Assassins Universe— They are rivals turned friends turned partners turned lovers in a world where most heroes are dead, they are living in Kahndaq and (running the country for the most part) running the League (what’s left of it), oh and crazy man Harvest, also known as Rex, was the cause of everything to go wrong has a super powered army of half-Kryptonian and half-Amazonian demi-gods, the Superboy Army (My Favorite One Thus Far) See my story “How Do You Spell Love?” for the set up for this one

7\. S.H.A.Z.A.M.—Damian gets thrown (due to his death) into a world where the Shazam family are the only heroes—allies to friends to lovers

8\. Billy Batson: The Captain- Friendship developed slowly into feelings, All of Billy’s relationships fail, while Damian is strangely always there, Billy’s hesitant and Damian’s take charge…

9\. Damian Wayne: The Son of the Bat- While on a training journey, Damian runs into the powerless Billy Batson, working on his doctoral dissertation. Damian accidentally drags Billy into League of Assassins, Spyral and other super-villain stuff. Banter a lot but mutual respect. Billy has an existential crisis being attracted to Damian and Damian doesn’t want to choose between his love and the MISSION. Few approve (those that approve are Clark, Diana, Dinah, Bruce, Alfred and Mary).

10\. The Way Back Home—A Meeting on Badhnisia, lovers

11\. Together We Stand—Where they wind up a married couple who raised two girls—Helena and Lizzie, Beyond-compliant

12\. Waiting for You—Best friends to lovers/partners

13\. Anything- A steampunk airship fantasy story where Damian Wayne is the blind vigilante Talon and Billy Batson is known as the Captain, the Realm’s Mightiest Warrior…they were once childhood friends, but years had put a strain on their friendship and feelings of the romantic kind got in the way.

14\. Where You Left Your Heart V.666- In the 666 Verse, Damian is a Batman who sold his soul apparently and he’s very grumpy

15\. Where We Fall—Magic Swords and One-Night Stands turned more

16\. No Light—Damian and Billy (of an unnamed Earth) were the last of their world, doomed to travel from Earth to Earth, trying to find a place. They didn’t have to stay together but they did out of a strange companionship.

17\. Hope There’s Someone—Damian as Alpha, Billy as Omega

18\. You Put Your Arms Around Me and I’m Home—Billy as Alpha, Damian as Omega

19\. When Worlds Collide—Rivals turned fathers of their son Alex and then they are lovers

20\. The Happy, Happy Verse—They are a couple and fathers of three

21\. Hold On To This Moment—Damian as Alpha, Billy as Omega, and fake relationship woes

22\. Where You Left Your Heart V.2—Damian’s crushing and Billy’s oblivious, for the most part

23\. Meeting Grandpa/Uncle Dami—Billy and Damian bond over babysitting the Batfamily’s next generation

24\. New Young Justice—Despite the four year age gap, they go from friends/allies to lovers

25\. Time of Dying (I’ll Never Ask More Than Your Love)—They are best friends, bordering on something more

26\. Confession—New 52 Alt, Billy and Damian are five years apart—Damian’s pursuit of a very awkward and unsure older Billy

27\. Bond—Semi-Vamp Damian and Food Source Billy

28\. It All Started with—Damian sent Billy an apology email, setting off a friendship through letters to something more

29\. The Clumsy Person Who Loves You—Damian is the son of Bruce and Selina in this verse, loves Billy and Billy loves Damian the best

30\. The Adventures of Shazam and Ghost Robin—Damian is a ghost guardian angel thing assigned to Billy Batson

31\. Solemnly Sworn to Justice—YJ/HP, Damian’s a Slytherin and Billy’s a Hufflepuff and they are best friends and together they have to deal with the Revival of the Light and the typical drama at Hogwarts

32\. Age Reversal—Where Damian is the first Robin, Tim is the second Robin, and so on. He and Billy are best friends turned lovers. His other best friends are Colin and Chris.

33\. Clear After Rain—Wherein Bruce discovers a magical way to revive Damian, the new Dr. Fate feels that she’s in over her head, and Billy Batson really is trying to be worthy of his powers. New 52 Compliant

34\. The Lonely Hearts’ Club—Valentines’ Day, an agreement, Billy and Damian

35\. Compatible Weirdness--“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” –Dr. Seuss

36\. Come What May—10 Year old Damian is rescued before dying by an Older version of himself, Damian and an older version of Billy.

37\. Limbo—Friends. Pre-New 52 Billy and deceased Damian, featuring others axed from the New 52/or completely changed

38\. Beloved—No New 52, continues from the end of Brightest Day, the last crossover event before Flashpoint, the Al Ghul family can immediately tell who their One is when they first meet and things tend to go to hell in a handbag. Damian Wayne is no exception.

39\. The Lights Will Guide You Home- Sentinel and Guide, (Includes Jason/Bette and oddly enough, for me, Dick/Tim), Damian is destined to be a masterful Sentinel and Billy is literally the last Guide.

40\. Non-superhero - William Batson and Damian Wayne are taken from their separate lives to a summer camp that turns out to be their worst nightmare. Watch as they become fire-forged friends and later, into a Battle Couple.

41\. Sin- Where Damian is the villain Heretic, leader of the League of Assassins, and Billy is Captain Marvel (evil wizard of many powers)

42\. Future’s Beginning- New 52-Compliant, Ten years into the future, Billy struggles with his identity of Masked Superman and Shazam (despite the fact that Clark is Superman still); while Damian confronts the legacy of Batman and Robin. Together, there is a new beginning.

43\. Injustice: Multitude of Sins- loosely based on the Video game Injustice: Gods Among Us and the comic version (never played the game, kind of read some of the comics), Senior high school student Billy Batson had more problems than anyone really knew—Harley Quinn stalked him on a regular basis (and kidnapped him from school once), the superheroes were in the middle of a Civil War, Superman lost his mind, his blog is getting him in trouble on the internet, and he was having the biggest moral dilemma as a superhero. Oh and his new best friend was the angry and homicidal Damian Wayne, who was not as bad as everyone thought it was (and possibly, maybe there was something more to their friendship…?!) (Carnival of Rust by Poets of the Fall, Pain by Three Days Grace, Truth by Seether)

44\. Signal Fire- Billy is radio reporter for WHIZ radio and Damian is the son of Bruce Wayne, millionaire playboy. In truth, Billy is Captain Marvel and Damian is the new Robin. WWII-Era

45\. Expectations- C.C. Batson and Alex Wayne were not the closest of friends, nor were they romantically attracted to each other. But they had a unique understanding of each other. C.C. Batson lived in the shadow of the World’s Mightiest Mortal, Shazam, who was chosen as the Champion of Magic. Alex Wayne lived in the shadow of the Batman, who had been formerly Robin, Nightwing, and the heir of the League of Assassins. Billy Batson loved his daughter most of all. Damian Wayne loved his son most of all. Both fathers would do anything for their children, come hell or high-water.

46\. Letters to No One- Pre-New 52, 10 years after the events of Brightest Day, 26 year old Billy Batson, the former Captain Marvel, put the life of a superhero behind him. He joined the Army when he was eighteen and eventually became a Captain. Captain Batson is on loan to the United Nations for a peacekeeping mission in Bialya, when he received an unlikely visitor—Damian Wayne, the 20 year old Batman. Something is wrong with magic and no one can figure it out. The last resort is Billy. Reluctantly, Billy begins a quest to prove himself worthy of the powers of Shazam and become Captain Marvel once more—the world was depending on him.

47\. Little by Little- This was supposed to be my epic, long-burn, character-centric finale of finales for Billy and Damian, but I just can’t. I planned the whole thing out. I’m going to give you the Billy/Damian parts I have for this one and see what you want. It’s 9 Parts, a mix of one-shots and a couple of multiple chapter stories. If you want do take a crack at all 9 parts and you want to know what I had planned totally message me and I’ll be glad to see everything else (I’ll just have to type it up first—some parts I handwrote and some I type and saved in Word, those I’ll give now).

48\. 3 Libras- It took Damian nine years to fall in love with Billy. It only took Billy six years to fall in love with Damian

49\. All You Wanted- Darla Dudley is a star soccer player for Fawcett City Junior High. Helena Wayne is the star soccer player for Gotham Academy Junior High Section. The two rival teams (in the inter-city championships) go at it in a series of ten matches, best makes it to the finals. Helena and Darla have really embarrassing older brothers—Billy Batson and Damian Wayne_

50\. Courting the Big Red Cheese- Sixteen year old Damian Wayne falls in love, unexpectedly, with nineteen year old Billy Batson. Never having to deal with actual feelings for anyone, Damian recruits his friends—Maya, Suren, Jon, Colin, Nell, Maps, and Lian—to help him court Billy. Unfortunately for Damian, his friends are not adept at the romance department either. Hilarity ensues.

51\. Flipside- Reporter/Blogger Billy Batson interviews Damian Wayne, Prodigal Son of Bruce Wayne of the Wayne Enterprises billion-dollar corporation and things get out of hand

52\. Weathered- Centered on the song Weathered by Creed, Damian and Billy still struggle to be heroes as the world falls apart around them…

53\. From Yesterday- (DC Universe-AU, where Damian never met his father (and therefore had a rippling effect on the Bat-family) and kept being an assassin And where the Justice League had their shit together more, Blending Pre-New 52, New 52 and Rebirth into something) 18 year old Damian Wayne, fresh from his hostile takeover of the League of Assassins by killing his grandfather Ra’s al Ghul once and for all, is hired by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana to kill twenty-four year old Billy Batson (who in actuality is Captain Marvel, a high-ranking member of the Justice League, Justice Society and an honorary member of the Teen Titans, but Sivana didn’t know this). To Sivana, it’s a way to anger Captain Marvel and to Damian, it’s just a job. Nothing is ever that simple.

STUFF THAT WROTE/PLANNED FOR THE FOLLOWING STORIES THAT YOU MAY USE OR NOT USE, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO  
9\. Damian Wayne: Son of the Bat

While on a training journey, Damian runs into the powerless Billy Batson, working on his doctoral dissertation. Damian accidentally drags Billy into League of Assassins, Spyral and other super-villain stuff. Banter a lot but mutual respect. Billy has an existential crisis being attracted to Damian and Damian doesn’t want to choose between his love and the MISSION. Few approve (those that approve are Clark, Diana, Dinah, Bruce, Alfred and Mary). 

(Songs: Undone by FFH, Behind Blue Eyes by Limp Biskit, Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World, Louder Than Thunder by Devil Wears Prada, and The Scientist by Coldplay)

Damian leaves home at 18 (so Billy’s 24 and in Cairo already). Billy’s been powerless since he was 16. Billy is six years older than Damian. Billy (age 18-21) went to Princeton University for a degree in history and archeology. He got his Master’s Degree at Oxford University in Egyptology (age 21-23). He was pursuing his doctorate in history and archeology at Cairo University when Damian showed up in his life. Damian had been traveling for almost two years, across the globe, when Damian tracked some League of Assassins plotting in Egypt. 19-almost 20-year-old Damian meets for the second time the 25-year-old former Captain Marvel, Billy Batson.

The first time Damian met Billy was on the Watchtower. Damian was 10 and Billy was 16. Billy was on the Watchtower (after Brightest Day fiasco) being decommissioned from the Watchtower’s computer and giving the Leaguers all the information about his Rogues’ Gallery. Dick was Batman that day and greeted Billy cheerfully. Dick introduced Damian to Billy. Billy greeted Damian and received a batarang thrown at his head for his trouble.

Damian and Billy find themselves thrown together to stop a terrorist attack by the League of Assassins at the Pyramids.

Damian and Billy gain mutual respect for each other and spend a lot time quipping at each other. Billy hadn’t had that much fun in a long time. 

Damian starts crushing on Billy after a brief confrontation from Black Adam (who had been revived by a cult two years after the Wizard destroyed Black Adam and Isis—so Billy was 18 when Black Adam, Osiris and Isis were all reunited). Despite not having powers, Billy does not take Black Adam’s crap and stood up to the dictator.

Billy finds himself disturbed as he and Damian spend more time together—that Billy was actually attracted to Damian Wayne. It was not that Billy hadn’t known that he was bisexual, but there was never any male to hold his interest for more than a millisecond, so Billy only dated women. The problem lay with the fact that Damian was Bruce’s son. Billy had a great respect for Bruce. Billy knew full well how protective of his children Bruce was and while Billy thought that Bruce actually was okay with Billy, this was Damian, his youngest son. Chanting “safe thoughts” in his head was not helpful.

The problem also lay with Billy himself. Billy was bad at relationships. He had seven failed relationships and a poor dating record. (And only three of his relationships were impacted by him being Captain Marvel at that, so he couldn’t even blame it on being a superhero). Billy didn’t want to wind up breaking Damian’s heart when Billy couldn’t live up to expectations.

Damian surprisingly accepted, when he was 21 years old, that he was in love with Billy Batson. But there was the Mission to think about—none of his family, save Jason and Bette had solid relationships (and even that was iffy at the best of times). Relationship fumbles for the Batfamily all around, actually.

However, things changed when Damian got word that the League of Assassins was moving their operation to Kahndaq. Billy argued that Black Adam would never allow a hero like Damian into the country. Damian was still insistent on going and Billy could not go with him. They got into an argument. Damian stormed out. There’s a terrorist attack at one of the major Cairo hotels. Damian goes into action. Absolute chaos. Damian informs the military police about the League of Assassins.

Another attack.

Damian eventually managed to get his injured self to Billy’s apartment. It was at that point when their relationship started, despite both their reservations for very different reasons.

_The Six Times Someone Had Them Figured Out (And the One Time They Had to Tell Everyone) _

1\. Bruce (Thus, Jason, Bette, Kate, Alfred, Talia and Selina all found out)

2\. Mary (Thus, Freddy, Darla, Eugene and Pedro all found out)

3\. Clark (Of course, he told Lois, Conner, Kara and Chris and Jon, and fuck, even Mon-El knows)

4\. Tim (All the Titans know now, except they all agreed to not tell Dick)

5\. Diana (All of Themyscria knows)

6\. Black Adam (Consequently, Isis and Osiris know too)

1\. Everyone Else (Billy blurts it out in front of the entire Justice League when they refuse to let him see an injured Damian on the Watchtower)

_”I don’t expect you to be anything other than yourself, William.”

_Damian ponders the man he loves_

Being with Billy Batson was different than he had imagined. It was better, of course, than Damian thought. But it was different. He learned new things about Billy all the time. 

During quiet times, Billy basked in Damian. It was the only way to describe it. Billy acted if though tomorrow was going to be the end of the world. Considering how many end of the world episodes they both lived through, it was not strange, but discerning. It was almost like Billy was waiting for the universe to take Damian away from him and “nope, little Billy Batson, you are not allowed to be happy or loved.”

Sometimes, stories about Billy’s childhood and teenage years slipped and Damian understood the fear that Billy had. His lost both his parents at a young age. He and his sister were separated for years and then his own sister had been turned evil, turned against him. Billy was even forced to be the Wizard Shazam at the Rock of Eternity for some time, which Billy still had nightmares about even if he didn’t want to admit it. Billy was afraid that the universe was against him.

Damian felt that way too. 

38\. Beloved

No New 52, continues from the end of Brightest Day, the last crossover event before Flashpoint, except the Al Ghul family can immediately tell who their One is when they first meet and things tend to go to hell in a handbag. Damian Wayne is no exception. 

(Songs: Blue and Yellow by the Used, Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons, Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons, Unconditionally by Katy Perry, Wonderwall by Oasis, and Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips)

\- It all started when Bruce took Damian with him to check up on the Marvel Family, who were now without their powers  
\- Damian and the rest of the Al Ghul keep the whole can tell who your soulmate is at a glance a secret  
\- Damian never actually met the teenager under the original Captain Marvel   
\- Damian feels very uncomfortable because it shouldn’t be him, Billy Batson that is his One  
\- Ten year old Damian makes the decision to not fall in love with Billy Batson ever—just because someone is your soulmate does not mean that it will be happily ever after  
\- Eight years later  
\- Damian becomes one of the Batmen—His father handles Batman International for he is getting too old to handle JL missions or Gotham much anymore despite him not wanting to admit it and Grayson is Batman in Gotham  
\- Damian becomes the Batman of the Justice League  
\- Superman is still the de-facto leader of the JL  
\- Captain Marvel, who got his powers back after a couple of quiet years as a normal guy, is however a leader of the Justice League  
\- Damian steels himself for interaction with Billy Batson on a regular basis  
\- Damian and Billy actually argue a lot because they have different ways of doing things and Damian actually likes it  
\- Slowly but surely Damian falls in love against his will  
\- Billy, however, has an on-again off-again relationship with a couple of women—Courtney Whitmore is one (AKA Starwoman) and Cissie Summerly—which Damian cannot fathom why they think they are good enough for him  
\- Damian gets mixed messages from Billy’s actions  
\- On Billy’s side, after getting to know Damian, Billy found him pretty interesting—he liked that Damian was not afraid to say what he was thinking and such  
\- Billy’s okay with his sexuality and understands that he’s attracted to Damian  
\- What scares him is that he may be falling in love with Damian

“It does not mean anything,” said Damian, snatching his wrist away from his father. Bruce’s eyes were narrowed into slits. Damian was nearly as tall as Bruce now that he was seventeen years old. Damian, however, was not as built as Bruce. 

Bruce was unamused at the situation. “Your mother had my name in Latin on her shoulder. Ra’s had a tattoo of some woman’s name in an early version of Arabic. When did that appear?” Damian scowled.

“How the hell am I supposed to know, Father,” snapped Damian. Bruce sighed. Both had horrible tempers and both were stubborn. More and more Damian and Bruce clashed over many things—the mysterious tattoo was just one of them. Dick, Tim and Jason were in the corner of the Batcave, discussing Bette’s birthday present that the boys had been working on—a new motorcycle. Bruce only found out about the tattoo, when Jason asked Damian when he got it without Bruce knowing.

“But you know what it is, don’t you,” asked Bruce.

Damian frowned. “It is the name of my soulmate. Therefore, it does not mean anything.”  
Bruce, then, frowned, too. He understood Damian’s insistence that it meant nothing. Talia had Bruce’s name on her body, but their relationship did not work out. Ra’s killed his first wife. The track record of the al Ghul and their soulmates were not good. It would stand that Damian would not buy into such philosophical and romantic nonsense. But perhaps he was getting old, but he wanted Damian to believe in love. Dick settled down with Barb. Tim and Steph were giving their relationship a try again. Surprisingly, Jason and Bette were happy together. Cassandra was dating Harper Row. Damian was seventeen and he had no inclination to any kind of crushes or the like as teenagers were prone.

“You must have met the person, then, that is why it appeared.”

Damian sighed. “Father, I have had it for six years, just after that get together at the Watchtower after the whole Lantern nonsense. I am unconcerned about it. You should not worry. I do not take stock in such things. Now, if you excuse me, Todd’s about to choose a horrendous color for Mary Elizabeth’s birthday present and I must stop him.” Damian knew that the matter would not be dropped, but for now, Bruce let it go…

Until five in the morning, when everyone else was sleeping, and Bruce was attempting to decode the name on his youngest son’s wrist, just in case. He had every language, dead or otherwise, human or alien or magical and so forth, he possibly could gather. Not to mention, this was a puzzle and he was very good at those, as it were, he was the World’s Greatest Detective, after all. Bruce tried to recall the get together on the Watchtower from years ago to remember who Damian interacted with and prayed to all the sanity on the world that it was not someone Bruce’s age or something equally as creepy.

“You’re brooding, B,” said Jason, appearing next to him, shirtless and in his sweatpants. Bruce did not answer. “Trying to decode your spawn’s soulmate’s name so you can take him or her out of Damian’s life, huh?”

“Jason, if there is something that you want, say it, otherwise leave,” said Bruce, curtly, eyes never turning away from the monitor. Jason sighed.

“Considering the track record of the Robins and Batgirls with relationships, Damian is the most responsible one. When it is time for him to fall in love, he will and that’s that,” said Jason, commenting truthfully. “You know better than anyone that controlling feelings of love is the most difficult thing in the world.”

“Jason…”

“B, let it be. Damian’s handling it his own way. I mean, we all want to know, so we can tease the little demon, but he’s taking it seriously as he usually does everything,” said Jason, rolling his eyes. “If problems arise, Dick or Bette will talk to him. For some odd reason, he looks to them for advice of all things.” Jason, then, left.

-`-`-`

Damian could not sleep, despite being up for a good long day. What happened earlier with his father disturbed him greatly. He flat out lied to his father. He knew who it was, the person whose name was on his wrist. He knew it from the moment he met the person. His mother described the moment—meeting his father for the first time and how everything was right in the world just being near that person and the burn of their name on the body. Talia wanted him ready for the inevitability of finding his soulmate and ready to control himself, so he would not fall into the same mistakes of his mother and his grandfather concerning their soulmates.

So, Damian told himself it did not matter. It was not like he did not try to date anyone. He attended school with other children, just after he came back to life (with temporary superpowers, but that was neither here nor there). Nell Jones was his friend. They tried dating, but they both found it too weird. Still, she was his Batgirl. Damian had no qualms about his sexuality, thus when Colin was experimenting, they also tried. Colin was his best friend, nothing more. Then there was Lyla Martinez, his ‘Catwoman’ as it were. He truly cared about her. He was simply drawn to her, but he was not in love with her. In fact, after talking with Tim about such matters, Damian came to realize that he wanted to take care of Lyla just because she needed someone to do that for her. Still, Damian did not want to crush her like that, because she was in love with him.

Then, there was his silly friend Maps, from Gotham Academy. They never dated, but he was very fond of her.

There was no one else that he would like to try a relationship with that he was close to, even though everyone thought that he and Lian Harper should get together or Heaven Forbid, Irey West. Harper and West were…unlike Nell, Colin and Lyla who were Gotham-sphere of friends/allies. They were his Titans family and they were more like (extremely annoying and sometimes unwanted) sisters than anything, kind of like Donna and Dick or Tim and Cassie.

He was loved by his family and friends. He was not alone. He was accepted for who he is, just what he needed.

Damian just really hated the feeling of missing out on something important. Every time he saw Dick and Barb, or Jason and Bette, or Tim and Stephanie, or Cass and Harper, or Colin and Lian or Nell and Ramsey, or any happy couple really, he felt suddenly empty again.

He really hated that feeling.

Damian knew how he could stop the feeling of emptiness and loneliness.

`-`-`

Six years ago (before he died and just shortly after his father came back to their time), the Earth’s heroes averted another end of the world/universe as we know it event, this time with Black Lanterns and White Lanterns and other craziness. To celebrate, the League, the Society and the Titans had a major gathering on the Watchtower, with food and drink. Damian had not wanted to go, but Bruce and Dick dragged him. 

Damian, at 10, was sulking in an undisturbed corner of the Watchtower, waiting for his father to get tired of mingling with people and to get back to Gotham. He was still very much attached to Gotham, then. He paid no attention to the idiotic antics of the older heroes. 

Still, he scanned the floor to be certain of Dick/Nightwing, Bruce/Batman, and Tim/Red Robin’s locations. (Steph, Cass, Barb and Bette did not attend. Jason was not yet back with them yet, he was still off causing trouble with his sidekick Scarlet. Harper, Cullen and Carrie were not yet a part of their family). That was when Damian locked eyes with…his soulmate.

At first, Damian hadn’t realized what happened. He held his soulmate’s stare for all of ten seconds. His wrist burned and something was wrong with his stomach.

That night, he looked at his wrist and he easily understood the name, because he knew whose eyes he met earlier.

Damian’s whole world felt like it ended then.

-`-`-`

Sighing in frustration, Damian rolled over, causing Alfred the Cat to meow loudly at him in protest of disturbing him. Titus was drooling at the edge of his bed, unaware of his master’s plight. It bothered him to no end.

The problem was that Damian was not in love with his soulmate, he did not even know that person very well, just from what he heard from his family. The other problem was that the few times that he had been near his soulmate, Damian never had felt such peace and security. His soulmate probably did not even know that Damian existed (which shouldn’t have hurt but it did). Did Damian want to be in love? Not particularly, no. Damian was a practical person, but…there were times where he thought of the possibility of a relationship with his soulmate.

Still, Damian could not risk anything concerning his soulmate. Daydreams were just that…daydreams.

-`-`-

It was unfortunate beginning to the events that would make him lose his heart completely. The following day after Father discovered his wrist, he went down to the Cave to go to the training room to let off some steam. He nearly froze at the sight. 

Why did his soulmate have to be here now?

His father was currently focused on the screen, as was his soulmate, they were deep in discussion, so they did not notice Damian’s stare.

-`-`-`

William Batson was gorgeous. He was a pretty boy, in all terms of the definition. He was five years older than Damian. He was a little bit taller, at the moment (as Damian was still growing), but he was lankier. Despite having superpowers of a god, Billy was no slouch himself, especially because of the times he got caught as a kid in traps where he was unable to become the Big Red Cheese. Always dressed in jeans and a red hoodie and scuffed, old sneakers, he looked comfortable and pleasant.

-`-`-`

William Batson was Damian Wayne’s soulmate.

And Damian hated it.

-`-`-`

“I am really worried about this, Bruce. Do you think you could find out more on this Rex guy for me,” asked Billy. Bruce frowned.

“I can check all my worldwide sources. In the meantime…Oh, good, Damian, you’re awake,” said Bruce. He caught Damian walking down the stairs. “I’ll lend you Robin. Figure out what Rex is planning and let me know. Then we can see if the League needs to get involved. Damian, get your suit and some undercover clothes, you’re going with Billy to Fawcett.”

“Father, what about the Scarecrow case,” asked Damian, trying to find a way to not go to Fawcett City with the one person in the world that he was trying to avoid, forever. 

“Batwoman and Flamebird will help me with it,” said Bruce. “…And I am more than capable of going out solo, son. I am not that old, yet.” Damian scowled. Then, Billy put a hand on Bruce’s shoulder.

“He’s just worried about you,” said Billy, calmly. Damian’s heart was surely going to burst out of his chest when Billy made eye contact with him. “Don’t worry about the Big Bat here, Damian. He won’t like to admit it, but Clark would be here in an instance if he really needed help.” Bruce grunted and pretended Billy did not just say that. 

“Go, before, I call Diana to ‘help’ you again,” said Bruce, threatening. Billy shot Bruce a dark look. Damian watched the interaction between his father and his soulmate and he was highly uncomfortable with how easy-going they were with each other. He always knew that his father was very fond of Billy and Billy was very fond of Bruce. In fact, Damian knew that Billy was close with Clark and Diana, too. Damian assumed it was the Trinity grooming Billy to lead the Justice League one day (Billy would be excellent at it; he does inspire the best in people, Damian grudgingly admitted).

“The last time you did that, she threatened to make me move in with her,” said Billy, frowning. Bruce scoffed. “Fine, I’ve been dismissed Oh Great Detective Batman. Come on, Robin, get your stuff and meet me outside in five minutes.” Billy rolled his eyes and walked to the exit/entrance.

At the moment, Damian was wondering if he could last the day working with Billy Batson on a case that he had no choice to go on because his father ordered it.

-`-`-`

Billy waited outside for Robin. He sighed. He was hoping that Bruce was actually going to help him and not pawn his son off on him. Nothing against Damian or anything, but Billy needed subtle and Damian was not subtle. Still, at least it was something. It was better than Mary and Freddy at each other’s throats. Eugene not helping, being love-struck. Pedro was a quiet guy. And Darla was just being silly. Amon was equally as unhelpful, with his sarcastic, burning comments.

Adrianna pretended he didn’t exist, which was fine with him.

Five minutes later, Robin came out in regular clothes—jeans, boots, and a black and yellow jacket with a white t-shirt underneath. He had a bag of clothes, Billy could only assume that it was his Robin outfit and other tools. “So, I take it we are flying.”

“Yes. SHAZAM!!”

The lightning hit him and out of the smoke appeared Captain Marvel/called Shazam on the internet.

-`-`-`

Damian was grateful that the pressure on his chest lessened when Billy transformed into the good Captain. He figured that it was due to the fact that Billy and the Captain were actually different people, but he never understood it. Sometimes, Billy’s personality shows more, but then the Captain’s patience and wisdom and something obviously not mortal shines. Damian was picked up around the waist and they were off in a flash.

Sometimes, Damian forgot that the powers of Captain Marvel included super-speed and flight, he was almost as fast Superman and the Flash. They reached Fawcett City, in a matter of minutes, just outside Billy’s house where he lived with his family.

Billy quietly depowered and the two young men entered the house. Damian was greeted by the sight of Mary Batson throwing pots at Freddy Freeman. Adrianna and Amon were arguing with each other. Darla was hidden under the kitchen table with their foster parents, the Vasquez couple. Eugene had earphones in and was video chatting with someone, and Pedro was watching the baseball game (Fawcett v. Kansas).

“ENOUGH,” growled out Billy, demanding order in his house. “Mary, stop trying to murder Freddy. What is going on? And let’s be some kind of normal, we have a guest. Damian, you know everyone.” Damian grunted in response.

“No, I will not. This jackass,” said Mary, pointing a rather big pot at Freddy, “just told me that he and Amon have been dating for three months, without anyone knowing.” 

“You are not the boss of me, Mary,” said Freddy, rolling his eyes.

Damian raised an eyebrow.

“For heaven’s sake,” mumbled Billy. “Mary, you and Freddy are not in love with each other anymore. I knew about Amon and Freddy. And Darla, Mr. and Mrs. Vasquez please get out from under the table. Pedro, turn off the TV. EUGENE, OFF THE NET!!!” Everyone fell in line to the living room.

“This is all your fault, William,” said Adrianna, sniffing. Damian did not like the way that she spoke to Billy. 

“Story of my life,” said Billy, wryly. “Family meeting.” Damian stood still at the entrance to the porch. “So, Damian, if you don’t mind, you can start scouting this area that I went over with Bats, I have to make sure that is resolved.” Damian nodded.

-`-`-`-

All families were dysfunctional.

-`-`-`

Billy met up with Damian downtown, near the Fawcett City Historical District. Damian was annoyed, only because when Billy showed up, there was a slight bruise forming under Billy’s eye. “Sisters can be difficult.”

Damian snorted. “Cassandra has kicked my ass several dozen times over the years. So I know what you are talking about. I found that this Rex man is trying to gather people, meaning orphans. It is very creepy.”

Billy scowled. “Why can’t they just leave the orphans alone?”

“Because then they become Batman,” Damian said, snarky. Billy looked at him, startled. Then, Billy laughed. Damian suddenly really like Billy’s laugh, it was cheerful and pleasant.

-`-`-  
-`-`-`

_Damian realizes that he is inexpiably in love with his soulmate, something that he did not want to happen, but Damian is okay with being just friends_

_Billy is quite sure that he is losing his mind_

_The Five Time Damian Received Mixed Signals from Billy (and the One Time Damian Understood Completely) _

¬_The Five Times Damian Tried to Pretend That He Was Moving On (And the One Time Billy Took Offense) _

_After three years of a relationship, Damian finally explained the tattoo on his wrist to Billy, prompting an interesting conclusion_

18\. You Put Your Arms Around Me and I’m Home

_The Five Times Billy and Damian Told Themselves It Didn't Mean Anything (And the One Time They realized that It Meant Everything):

1\. Billy and Damian claim temporary leave of sanity. (Billy)  
2\. Damian did not like treating his attraction to Billy like an experiment, but he needed to figure things out. (Damian)  
3\. He was pretty sure that this was not normal. Two months later, and Billy and Damian can’t seem to get enough of each other (Billy)  
4\. Damian knew that he was feeling feelings. (Damian)  
5\. Billy does not just want to be a placeholder, but he can’t admit it. (Billy)  
1\. Billy makes a move and Damian surprises him. (Both)

43\. Injustice: Multitude of Sins

Summary: Loosely based on the Video game Injustice: Gods Among Us and the comic version (never played the game, kind of read some of the comics), Senior high school student Billy Batson had more problems than anyone really knew—Harley Quinn stalked him on a regular basis (and kidnapped him from school once), the superheroes were in the middle of a Civil War, Superman lost his mind, his blog is getting him in trouble on the internet, and he was having the biggest moral dilemma as a superhero. Oh and his new best friend was the angry and homicidal Damian Wayne, who was not as bad as everyone thought it was (and possibly, maybe there was something more to their friendship…?!) 

(Songs: Carnival of Rust by Poets of the Fall, Pain by Three Days Grace, Truth by Seether, I Bet My Life by Imagine Dragons, Right Here by Ashes Remain, Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional)

_Prompt: Injustice: MoS twenty-three year old Damian Wayne is tricked into an interdimensional time portal to an alternative past by the New Justice League…crash landing as a Red Lantern into the Cave…getting captured and placed in a containment unit in the Cave, this bitter and broken older Damian interacts with the family he never had…

“There’s a great rage in your heart, Damian Wayne, Ibn al Xu’ffasch, Son of the Bat.”

Damian jolted awake from his nap. He snarled at no one in particular. He sat up in his cell. There was a tray of food waiting for him—his favorite: fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted tomato and garlic on pane Italian bread, with a glass of fresh blueberry juice. Damian stood up in his 8’x8’ cell and retrieved his tray. At least, he knew his captors were not as devious enough to poison him. Alfred, in any time and place, would not allow it.

“It looks like you were having a nightmare,” said the jovial voice of this world’s past Dick Grayson. So very different than his world’s Dick Grayson, but yet at the core the same. It looked like he just off of patrol, still dressed as Batman. This world’s Dick Grayson was Batman, but so was Bruce Wayne. The world was big enough for two Batman, who knew?

“Why do you insist talking to me,” asked Damian, rolling his eyes. “I’m sure that Bruce demanded that no one talk to me, especially little Robin.”

“Well, Bruce is always away now. I take care of Gotham and my Robin,” said Dick, pleasantly. 

“Unless you have come to tell me that you found a way to return me to my proper time and world, then I have nothing more to say to you,” said Damian. He growled, in threat. He sat and ate his food. Dick was patient as Damian finished his meal. Unfortunately for the both of them, the thirteen year old version of Damian, this world and time’s Robin and the prodigal son of Bruce Wayne appeared.

Dick went into big brother mode. “You should be in bed.”

“Pennyworth is giving him my food,” said the thirteen year old Damian.

Dick rolled his eyes. “Alfred is just trying to be nice. It’s not a surprise that you two have the same favorite meal. I remember meeting an alternate version of myself once—it was kind of creepy.”

Locked behind the containment walls, older Damian watched as Dick managed to convince younger Damian to get back upstairs for bedtime. This world’s Damian and Dick were much closer as a brothers and partners than Damian was with his Dick Grayson. It kind of hurt. A little. Dick smiled apologetically at him.

“He’s just been nervous about you showing up.”

“I understand. He’s concerned that he may turn out to be a homicidal Red Lantern, scarred and slightly insane like me,” he replied, deadpan. “You are raising him well, Grayson, I’m surprised at your competence, though. Tell him that he has nothing to worry about, he’ll turn out fine.”

Dick smiled sadly. “Can you tell me anything?”

“No.”

_~_~_

“Here to finish the job, Todd,” he asked to his most recent visitor. Red Hood, also known as Jason Todd, stood in his gear. When he had arrived by accident in the Cave, Red Hood took immediate action (he was visiting and trying to be a brother to younger Damian and behave himself), and shot Damian’s ring finger off, making him lose the power ring. Not that Damian needed the ring, he was vastly superior in any martial arts and fighting techniques—the combined force of two Batman, Robin, Red Robin, Alfred, and a woman named Black Bat (who was seriously competent and possibly a match for him in skills), however, Damian had to let himself be captured.

Todd, who died and came back to life in this world (Damian never met his world’s Jason Todd, he died and never was brought back to life—on his world, no one came back from the dead), snorted. “Hardly. Though, if you threaten them again, I will put a bullet in your head.”

“How does Bruce stand your violence?” 

Jason shrugged, noncommittally. “Dunno. At first, I gave no thought to killing people when I came back. But, Dick convinced me that I should try to be around more…for the little demon spawn. I ease my violence up and avoid killing while Bruce doesn’t say a word about my use of guns. Probably kicking himself now for teaching me to shoot. It’s a precarious balance.”

This time, Damian snorted. “I have killed hundreds of people, Todd. What about you?”

Shrugging again, Jason replied, “Maybe sixty-seven people.” Damian, then, knew that killing bothered Jason Todd, the Red Hood, it was something that he lived with in his heart. Jason knew the exact count of people he killed, no matter the type of person it was. Damian did not know the exact count of people whose life he took away.

Killing did not bother him—not anymore, at least.

_~_~_~

“Drake, I take it you’ve come to check on my cell,” said Damian, sniffing at the younger version of his so-called older brother. He and his world’s Timothy Drake never got along, though they did share the burden of never being good enough for the old man. While Damian was stuck in Dick’s shadow, Tim was stuck in Jason’s shadow.

The young man rolled his eyes. “Yes, actually. If you can shut up and not talk to me that would be good.”

Damian smirked. If there was one thing he never tired of, it would be annoying Tim Drake, no matter the universe. “I suppose that younger Damian and you do not get along.”

“For the most part,” said Tim, stiffly. “Did you die?” Damian blinked at the strange question.

“No,” said Damian, at once.

“Figures. Maybe you should die once and maybe you’ll get over all your terribleness,” said Tim. “Just because he and I don’t get along doesn’t mean that I want him to be dead.”

“The kid died?”

“Yeah…”

_~_~_~_~

“He doesn’t look so scary, now,” said the voice of the blonde Batgirl. Her companion, the Black Bat, the warrior girl, hid a smile. “Little D will grow up to look good. Hey, you, what’s your deal attacking us?”

Damian stared at the two woman blankly. “Who are you?”

“Seriously, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain don’t exist in your world,” asked Stephanie, apparently. Damian blinked. He recognized both those names. Stephanie Brown, daughter of Arthur Brown, was killed in revenge for her father’s actions. Cassandra Cain, daughter of Lady Shiva and David Cain, was the highest ranking member of the League of Assassins under his mother Talia’s control. So this time’s Bruce Wayne got his hands on those two? 

“No,” said Damian, lying through his teeth. They needn’t know.

_~_~_~

“It’s time to wake up,” said a calm voice. Damian groaned in his sleep. He was far too comfortable to care at the moment. “We have a meeting with Superman and I don’t think he’ll appreciate the both of us being late.” Billy kissed Damian briefly, before getting out bed.

“Batson, everyone already knows about us, even Superman,” replied Damian, grumbling. “Who the fuck cares what they think about why we’re late or not?”

“Someone’s cranky,” whistled Billy. Quickly, before losing the hand, Billy ruffled Damian’s hair and rushed out of the room. Damian grunted before getting out of bed and chasing after him. They were twenty minutes late, anyway.

¬_~_~~_~_~

Damian’s eyes opened from his dream, his memory. He felt the tears and he tried to furiously wipe them away. A strong hand caught his hand and Damian fell out bed to get his hand away. He found this world’s Bruce Wayne standing there in his cell. He had a concerned look on his face.

This man was not his father. Will never be his father. But looked like his father and from the little interaction spent with this world’s Bruce Wayne, similar to his father. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” said Damian, scowling. He was furious with himself. He let his guard down. That was unacceptable behavior. Bruce frowned.

“I am trying to understand you. I know that I’m not your father. And I am sorry for all the mistakes that he made with you, to turn you into an angry and bitter man,” said Bruce, still frowning. “You’re stuck here until I can figure out a way to get you back to your Earth.”

“You don’t need to understand me, Bruce,” said Damian, scoffing. He was very good at deflecting. “Your son will be okay. Trust me. I didn’t have what he had. I can tell that Grayson, Todd, Drake, those two girls Brown and Cain, care about little Damian very much. I can tell you love your son. He’s lucky to have you all.”

“I know that. But I also know that in any time, any world, any place, my son, at heart, is a good person,” said Bruce. “Dick told me that you have nightmares. What was that one about?”

Damian glared at him, full force. “Nothing.”

“It made you cry,” said Bruce, pointedly. “You miss someone.” Damian cursed the fact that Batman was the World’s Greatest Detective. 

“Don’t you,” Damian replied, curtly. Bruce sighed. He felt something akin to guilt. The man was just trying to help or whatever. “I…had someone who’s very important to me, once. The only person who saw anything worthy in me.”

 

“Sounds like a wise person,” said Bruce. “Anyone that I know.”

Damian snorted. “Yeah, William Batson.” Bruce stared at him for a minute. Damian waited for something. “My father never knew about it. We kept our relationship hidden…though the Alien and The Princess knew. And Allen.”

“You two must have been closer in age on your world, then,” responded Bruce, not in the least surprised or concerned.

“He was about two years older than me. He was a freshmen in high school when Lane died and I was twelve,” responded Damian. He was trying not to let Bruce know of his interest in finding about the well-being of this world’s Billy Batson.

However, Bruce said, “Billy’s sixteen to Damian’s ten. I think they may have met once, when I had been away and Dick took my Damian to the Watchtower. Billy is a good young man. He has a very strong moral compass. I can’t believe he sided with the Regime. I know exactly what my world’s Billy would say about that.”

Without a beat, Damian jumped to his William’s defense. “It was the Wisdom of Solomon that thought it was a good idea. William was always hesitant about the actions of the Regime—but Superman was the most powerful being in the world aside from Wonder Woman and the old and new gods. And William believed in Superman at first.”

“You two were the only young heroes and naturally, Billy tried to befriend you. You probably tried to deter him a lot, but he grew on you, huh,” said Bruce, knowingly. 

Damian tried not to remember the way Billy forced his way into Damian’s heart. The way Billy smiled at him. God, he missed that smile. “Superman killed him. I had been on a mission for the Regime…I knew that William was having reservations about the Regime’s actions and I didn’t listen to him enough. William always listened to me. He understood. According to Allen, William confronted Superman about something and William pushed hard and no one could stop…”

Bruce understood. “You returned and discovered what happened. The great rage in your heart. It’s how you became a Red Lantern.”

“Yes,” said Damian. “I killed them both. I killed my father and Superman. I knew how the whole time. I ended the war.”

“That must have been a great burden.”

“The Timothy Drake of my world is my only family left and I don’t even know where he is. William always talked about life after the war—he and Mary were on opposite sides—he wanted to make up with her. Family is, after all, important.”

42\. Future’s Beginning  
New 52-Compliant, Ten years into the future, Billy struggles with his identity of Masked Superman and Shazam (despite the fact that Clark is Superman still since he returned five years ago); while Damian confronts the legacy of Batman and Robin. Together, there is a new beginning. 

(Songs: Crash and Burn by Savage Garden, Only One by Yellowcard, Right Here by Ashes Remain, Titanium by David Guetta, Hero by Foo Fighters, Until the Day I Die by Story of the Year, Time of Dying by Three Days Grace, Caught in the Sun by Course of Nature, and Angels on the Moon by Thriving Ivory)

_The Five Times Billy Tried to Get Damian's Attention (and the One Time Billy Realized the Reason Why Changed over the Years)

_The Hero Gets the Girl_  
(In which Damian quite does not like it that Shazam is very popular with the ladies)

“Easy, Damian. Did the salad offend you somehow,” asked Maya Ducard. Damian Wayne, the twenty year old Nightwing, and his best friend and partner Maya Ducard, the twenty-two year old Flamebird, were on a break. They were eating their meals while at a diner in downtown LA. They were in civilian gear. Maya was tearing through a large hamburger while Damian was eating a Caesar salad. There was the news on the television.

Shazam was on the news again. He saved a bus full of elementary school students while Superman faced Metallo in downtown Metropolis. There was a line of happy mothers pouring their affection on the bashful Shazam, uncomfortable with the attention.

Damian frowned, without taking his eyes off the television report. “Shut up, Ducard.”

Maya eyed Damian, looked at the TV and then back at Damian. “Honestly, Damian, just call your boyfriend if you are all insecure about it.” Damian gave her a full Bat-glare.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” mumbled Damian. The twenty year old Damian and the twenty-five year old Billy Batson, also known as Shazam, were just friends and allies. They had gotten closer over the years—especially since Dick was off playing secret agent, Tim retired and disappeared, and Jason continued his nomadic ways. His father had a long since chosen a new Robin, especially after the whole fiasco with losing his memories and the Robin War. The Darkseid War changed many things.

Maya snorted. She took out her cell phone. She dialed a number and then shoved the phone into Damian’s hand. She called Billy. Billy had given Maya his number just in case a long time ago. They both conspired to make sure that Damian took better care of himself.

“Maya? Is everything alright? You and Damian okay,” asked Billy, worried.

“We’re fine, Batson,” said Damian, calmly as possible. “Maya was worried about you being molested by the women.”

Billy laughed. “I was not being molested and don’t you mean that you were worried about my virtue. I doubt Maya would care about my virtue.” Damian scowled. “I can hear you brooding, Dami. Relax.” Damian hung up on him. He was not in the mood for Billy’s teasing.

Damian will never admit it but Billy Batson was the love of his life.

Many assumed that he and one of the number of young women that Damian had befriended over the years were together with him. Maya, Maps, Nell, Aleea, Irey, Milagro, and Mari were the ones that Damian was constantly paired with in the minds of Leaguers and Titans alike. They didn’t know him.

Only Superman knew that Damian had feelings for Billy, not even Damian’s father knew. And Superman found out on accident.

Maya was the only one that he actually talked with about feelings. She had been trying for years to get Damian to make a move.

“Let’s go to Metropolis,” said Maya, after they finished dinner. “You aren’t jailbait for him anymore. You’re 20 years old. You need to tell him or you will never get over him.” Neither Damian nor Maya could discern what Billy felt about Damian, whether it was friendship or more.

19\. When Worlds Collide

Ra’s al Ghul was not a patient man. One would think that him being a good six hundred (or was it seven hundred?) years old would have taught him some patience. But no, Ra’s al Ghul remained irritated at the man before him. Felix Faust, a magician and if his efforts against Wonder Woman was any indication, a poor one at that, was looking for funding for a new project. You help out one madman with a plan, the other think that Ra’s will just willy-nilly give away his hard-earned blood money.

“I need something in return, magician,” said Ra’s, impatiently, from his Throne in one of the League of Assassins’ many hideouts.

Felix Faust smirked. “I can get you a new, more powerful body, if it pleases you, Lord al Ghul.” Now, Ra’s was interested. His attempts to take his grandson Damian Wayne’s body had been foiled by the Detective and two of his irritating “sons.” “You have your grandson’s DNA samples, from what I understand. If you get me the blood of the purest Champion for Goodness and Magic, SHAZAM’s mortal wielder’s blood. I can give you a body that will be your great-grandson, but also, by my seeing into the future, such a child, he will have great magical abilities.”

Ra’s al Ghul narrowed his eyes. Messing with the one called SHAZAM was always nasty business, for Black Adam was very adamant about how he was going to be the one to destroy SHAZAM and take his rightful power back. But Black Adam knew the true identity of SHAZAM, something that Ra’s never bothered to look into, despite having a library on the secret identities of most major superheroes.

“I get the boy first, then you get your money, Faust.”

-`-`-`

Black Adam did not like hosting the Demon’s Head at his Palace in Kahndaq, but the threat of the League of Assassins at his doorstep caused Black Adam worry, not for his people, but for his position as King. When the occasion called for it, Black Adam would team up with Ra’s al Ghul, if causing a headache mostly for the Justice League. 

“I have a country to run, Demon, so you best spit out what favor you want from me,” said Black Adam, dismissively.

Ra’s al Ghul frowned. “As you wish. I require the knowledge of the secret identity of SHAZAM.” Black Adam stared at the assassin leader. What did Ra’s al Ghul want with Billy Batson? Batson was his to defeat, and no one else’s. “I do not intend to harm him, I just require a DNA donation.”

Black Adam raised an eyebrow. That interested him. “Why?”

Without getting into the details, Ra’s explained that he needed both the DNA of the mortal wielder of SHAZAM and his grandson to get a proper vessel for himself, once the Lazarus Pits failed him. “I will give your country the aid it needs, monetary and otherwise, if you give me the information.”

Black Adam betrayed one young boy a long time ago.

He did it again.

-`-`-`

“Come on, Billy, wake up,” demanded Darla. “You’re going to be late for your class again!!” Billy’s blue eyes snapped open and he promptly fell out of bed. The newly-turned twenty-one year old grunted and grumbled about stupid college classes and annoying sisters. He was growing into a fine young man. He was working overtime to get his bachelor’s degree in creative writing/archeology as soon as possible. Being a superhero and a member of the Justice League barely gave Billy a life outside of school, family and heroes.

Every day when Billy looked at himself in the mirror, he was glad that he did not grow into another version of SHAZAM. He was nearly six feet tall, his black hair was always a perfect mess, he was in shape but not in a noticeable way, but he was sturdy (his ex-girlfriend Cissie called him that when describing him). Red shirts and blue jeans were still his choice of wear unless he needed to wear a suit or something else.

He got ready in only a few minutes. Darla, who was in her last year of high school, and Mary, Billy’s twin, were waiting for him. Mary had a car, the only one out of the SHAZAM wielders and she drove everyone everywhere, when they could not fly.

“About time, bro,” said Mary, rolling her eyes. “Let’s go. I’ve got work at noon.” Mary worked full-time at a Starbucks. She took it very seriously. 

Billy arrived at Fawcett City University with a few minutes to spare. He rushed from the car and waved half-heartedly at his sisters. He got to his Junior Seminar Creative Writing Class with moments to spare. There were only seven people in this class and they were used to him being late or barely on time, or slipping out early (to handle superhero business). There were only so many excuses you can use before people got suspicious.

“Mr. Batson, I hope you have your outline done,” said the professor, merely tired. Billy always did his homework, at least. Sure, he stayed up late working on it, but he always got it done on time. Billy handed her the seven page outline, he finished last night, after a grueling battle with Dr. Sivana at dinner time and then a Justice League meeting where he got into an argument with Batman’s little shit of a son, Blackbird/the former Robin, Damian Wayne. 

He sat at his desk and the professor started class. He barely listened when she said something about a special guest.

Billy hated surprises, anymore.

They were never good, especially in his life.

And he was right.

-`-`-`-

“Why would you let anyone get close enough to you to get you with a needle, Batson,” demanded Damian. It was unfortunate when he flew to Gotham City that Bruce was not home and Alfred was out running errands. Damian was the only one home, but Billy would rather not go to the Watchtower and have fifteen Leaguers lecture him. He could handle a Damian Wayne condescending lecture. Damian Wayne was eighteen years old. He was a couple of inches taller than Billy, and Damian was also buffer-looking. However, he did not look completely like his father, save for the blue eyes and general build, Damian took after his mother. Dare Billy thought that Damian was kind of pretty in a way? 

He was sitting on the gurney in the Cave as Damian took some blood for testing to make sure that Billy was not poisoned.

“Well, there’s this thing being called kind and not a paranoid whack-job,” stated Billy. Damian growled.

“At least I’m not the one that gets blood randomly taken from me in public,” said Damian, retorting. 

“Whatever. So I wasn’t poisoned,” asked Billy, wishing not to get into another argument with the irritating Damian.

“Lamentably, you’ll survive and continue to annoy me with your mere existence,” said Damian, deadpan. 

Billy rolled his eyes. “Such a charmer.”

-`-`-`

Damian Wayne and Billy Batson met when they were young boys. Damian was ten years old, newly brought back to life, met the thirteen year old Billy on the Justice League Watchtower. Ten minutes later, they were in the middle of the most epic insulting name back and forth. Five minutes after that, they started a fist-fight, only for Diana to grab them both by the ears and demand to know what they were doing.

As they got older and became leaders in the superhero community, they cannot be left in the same room with each other while an argument breaking out. Thankfully, they just snipe at each other now. They have not gotten into an actual fist-fight in years. But they do not get along.

-`-`-`-`

However, Billy and Damian can work together if the situation arose.

“So, this is the footage from your university, where were you exactly,” asked Damian. He was sitting at the computer, with Billy standing next to him. Billy pointed to one of the buildings. “Well, that’s not good. That’s one of my grandfather’s people.”

Billy sighed. “I haven’t been against the League of Assassins, by myself without the other Leaguers’ help, for a while.”

“That is strange. I best call Father and see what he makes of it,” said Damian. 

-`-`-`-`

Damian was having a hard time concentrating. It was all Batson’s fault. At first, Damian truly did not like him—the wielder of SHAZAM, Billy Batson. Damian, however, grown to respect Billy and his ability to make people want to be better than they are, especially other heroes. It was just, over time, Batson grew ridiculously handsome and while smiles were never directed at Damian himself, Billy’s smiles were amazing, Damian had a crush. 

He hated it. It was why he lashed out when near Billy, why he needlessly picked on him, argued with him. Damian did not want the stupid butterfly feeling in his stomach. It was stupid. He had no time to be a stupid teenager in a crush, especially not with Batson.

Not Batson.

Anyone but him.

-`-`-

Batman was beyond annoyed, well, Bruce was annoyed that Damian called him at a board meeting with a problem that Billy had gotten himself into. He really can’t wait for his son to get over the crush (or, for the love of God, do something about it—Bruce would never be opposed to Billy and Damian being together, they were good for each other), so Damian can actually help Billy, instead of bothering Bruce to come home and distract Damian from being near Billy. Dick, Jason and Tim were never that bad with crushes, were they? Or hadn’t he been paying attention? He was definitely sure that they were never that bad.

But he was worried about what Damian’s grandfather was doing. Maybe another plot for a new body or something? Sighing, he texted Damian back to handle things until after he was finished with the Board Meeting at 3pm. His son was going to have to deal with whatever his problem with Billy without him there to monitor them.

Remembering how intense Billy and Damian’s fights can get, he texted Alfred to keep an eye on them in the Cave.

-`-`-`-`

“This is all your fault,” commented Robin, Damian. Captain Marvel glared at Robin.

When Worlds Collide  
Summary: Billy Batson and Damian Wayne do not get along, which is all well and fine with the whole world…until Ra’s al Ghul hires Felix Faust to create a new body. The result: the biological son of Damian Wayne and Billy Batson—which prophecy says may become the world’s ultimate savior or its destroyer.

Notes:  
-Billy Batson is the 21 year old hero known as CAPTAIN MARVEL, alternatively known as SHAZAM (the actual name of the ancient wizard who granted him the powers in the first place). Billy gained the powers of SHAZAM when he was thirteen years old. He imparted the powers on his foster siblings (best friend Freddy Freeman, little sister Darla Dudley, and bros Eugen Choi and Pedro Pena) and his twin sister Mary Batson. Together, the SHAZAM family fight the nefarious Dr. Sivana and his own evil family, their arch-enemy Black Adam, and others. Captain Marvel also maintains the order of magic on Earth. Billy has taken over the place of the wizard Shazam on the Council of Magic since he was eighteen. Billy studies archeology and history at The University of Wisconsin—Fawcett City. He maintains a blog and podcast through Whiz Media International Inc. Captain Marvel is a member of the Justice League, the Justice Society of America, and an honorary member of the Teen Titans.

-Damian Wayne is the 18 year old hero known as NIGHTWING, once known he was ROBIN. He is also known as the SON OF BATMAN. One day, he will take over the role of BATMAN from his father, Bruce Wayne. However, he has another heritage from his mother Talia al Ghul (also known as Talia Head) and that is to be Ra’s al Ghul’s heir to the League of Assassins and take over the world. Naturally, Damian shuns this part of him, in favor of living a life dedicated to justice. As NIGHTWING, Damian teams regularly with his older adopted brothers Dick Grayson (Agent 37), Jason Todd (Red Hood) and Tim Drake (Red Robin) or alternatively with his surrogate big sisters Barbara Gordon (Oracle), Cassandra Cain (Black Bat), Harper Row (Bluebird), Carrie Kelley (Catgirl), Stephanie Brown (Flamebird), and Bette Kane (Hawkfire). In addition, Damian leads the current roster of Teen Titans, from its New York branch, along with his best friend SUPERBOY Jon White Lane-Kent. Damian devotes his life to crime-fighting and his life as a superhero, with very little time for anything else.

-The Council of Magic is made of the most powerful and sagely magic users from across the multiverse. They have not convened in many, many years.

-Billy and Damian have very little interactions with each other prior to the start of the story. The Justice League and the Justice Society have both worked with the Teen Titans regularly, especially during crises. Billy and Damian merely clash because of their outlook at life. However, Jon once told Damian that he (Damian) and Billy actually had a lot in common because they both had trust issues, control issues and overprotective, over-possessive tendencies towards the people they care about (Damian threatened Jon with Kryptonite to never mention it again). There was never a need for Captain Marvel and Nightwing (formerly Robin) to get along, so long as they didn’t let their egos get in the way of the MISSION or the NEVER-ENDING BATTLE.

-Alex’s godparents:  
-Mary Willow Batson  
-Jonathan Samuel White Lane-Kent

Part 1: Beginnings  
Chapter 1 (Billy and Damian have no choice but to team-up when Billy catches a member of the League of Assassins lurking at UWFC and they witness something rather extraordinary)  
Chapter 2 (At the Cave, Bruce calmly takes the news that his first grandchild came from his youngest child—Billy and Damian have a long discussion about what to do and they learn that the child is not willing to part with either parent for too long)  
Chapter 3 (Arrangements are made, the story is concocted, and godparents are discussed)  
Chapter 4 (Damian moves in with Mary and Billy, as they all have to adjust to the new situation)  
Chapter 5 (Compromises, bonding and understanding—a routine is developed)

Soundtrack for Part 1:  
1\. Demons by Imagine Dragons  
2\. Titanium by David Guetta featuring Sia  
3\. Crawling in the Dark by Hoobastank  
4\. Pieces by Sum 41  
5\. Carnival of Rust by Poet of the Fall  
6\. Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons

Part 2: Could It Be Magic?  
Chapter 6 (About a year passed by since Damian, Billy, baby Alex and Mary became a makeshift family…)  
Chapter 7 (Billy’s on break from school, so they go to Gotham City to spend the summer with Damian’s family)  
Chapter 8 (Damian gets some brotherly time with Dick, Tim, Jason—much to his irritation, especially when they start teasing him relentlessly. Meanwhile, baby Alex is doted upon by the lady Bats. Billy and Bruce spend time talking ‘shop’)  
Chapter 9 (Damian goes out on patrol with his Father….Damian’s been patrolling Fawcett City as Nightwing for the past year, but Gotham was never out of his system)  
Chapter 10 (After an exciting patrol, Billy’s fusses over Damian, much to everyone’s amusement…the two argue later, but make up quickly when Billy tells Damian that he does care about him)  
Chapter 11 (Jon stops by for a visit with his godson)  
Chapter 12 (Billy, Damian and Alex go back home—and Billy comes to the realization that he’s in love with Damian)

Soundtrack for Part 2:  
1\. No Light, No Light by Florence and the Machine  
2\. I Will Wait by Mumford and Sons

Part 3: Habibi  
Chapter 13 (  
Soundtrack for Part 3:  
1\. Take You Home by Scars on 45  
2\. Photograph by Ed Sheeran  
3\. 

Part 4: The Four Horsemen  
Soundtrack for Part 4:

Part 5: But a Life Built on Memories is Not Much of a Life  
Soundtrack for Part 5:

31\. Solemnly Sworn to Justice  
Summary: Years of pining for Billy had to be over because soon Damian would be knee-deep in Auror training and Billy will be traveling the world.

-Seventh Year, September-

“Have a good year,” said Dick Grayson, Auror, and hugging Damian closely. Damian looked annoyed at his oldest brother. Dick was so embarrassing. Damian was a Slytherin, serious as always and Dick was seriously messing with his credibility as a badass.

“Hey, Dick, we need to go,” said Billy, the last year Hufflepuff and Damian’s best friend/secret love of his life/his other half. While they had spent the summer break apart, they had owled each other all the time. Billy and his sister Mary always spent his summer at Hogwarts, since the twins were a special case. 

Damian had invited him on the Wayne family trip to the United States (and every other summer trip) but Billy always felt uncomfortable encroaching on Damian’s time with his family and Damian knew that Billy loved the run of the castle with all the other students gone. Before Tim departed Hogwarts and set for some Ministry job, Tim handed over the Marauders’ Map, something of a legend in school, created by Harry Potter’s father’s group. Potter handed the map over to Bruce, who merely put in a desk draw at their Manor.

Dick found it. He let Jason and Tim borrow it. The Wayne boys were the kings of the school anyway. Damian immediately shared the map with his four best friends—Lian, Chris, Mary and Billy. He left the map in the twins’ care over the summer, for their amusement. 

Billy and Mary loved the train ride to Hogwarts and they wanted to see their friends so Hagrid dropped them off at the station, so they could ride back with them.

Billy grabbed Damian’s arm, pulling him away from Damian’s oldest brother. Damian ignored the tingling feeling where Billy touched him (they were in normal clothes right now). Dick relented and waved the two boys off. Damian and Billy got to their usual compartment. Chris, Lian, the West twins, Mary, Freddy, Darla, Eugene, Pedro and Colin crowded the two other compartments, joyfully catching up and telling tall tales about their summer.

Since the Light had been defeated again last year, it had been very quiet.

After Damian got hugs and back slaps from his friends, Damian settled into a seat. Instead of sitting across from him, Billy plopped right down next to him, so close that their legs were almost touching. Damian fought down a blush that threatened to appear on his face.

“I have something to tell you,” said Billy, seriously. “I didn’t want to write it in a letter.” For the first time in seven years, Billy refused to meet Damian’s eyes. Damian grew concerned. “I’ve been picked as Seeker for the Chudley Cannons, not the best team I know, but I’m gone to training just after graduation is complete.”

Unlike the rest in their year, Billy hadn’t really known what he wanted to do with his life. He was brilliant enough to become a teacher or a researcher. He had all the NEWTs required to join Auror training with Lian, Irey, Jai, Chris, Colin and Damian. Heck, even a Ministry job would suit him. Mary and Darla were going to be medi-witches. Freddy, Eugene, and Pedro were going to be assistant professors next year at the school.

Now, with the news, it meant that Billy would be away from England for months at a time. Damian’s heart dropped. 

Instead of saying what he really felt, he said, “That’s brilliant, Billy. You’re the second best Seeker in the year.”

Billy shoved Damian. “I assure you that you are not the best Seeker in the year, you giant git. Just because you’ve been made Head Boy and Slytherin Captain means nothing. I’m Hufflepuff Captain and I’m still a prefect, you know. I’m thinking a second year in a row win for the Cup would prove it.” Damian snorted. Since Billy and Damian had joined their respective house teams in their second years—instead of the Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry, Hufflepuff actually had a chance. Third year, Slytherin won. Fourth year, Hufflepuff won. Fifth year, Slytherin won. Last year, Hufflepuff won. It was a friendly rivalry.

“Well, we’ll see, won’t we, Batson,” said Damian, haughtily. Billy rolled his eyes and took his seat across from the Damian.

Later, Damian was sitting in the Slytherin Common Room, brooding. Some of his housemates gave him a wide berth, for they heard the news about Billy’s departure at the end of the year. Everyone knew that Damian and Billy were the best of friends. (And there was a bet that they were going to finally get together this year—Slytherin Lyla Martinez kept the book of bets since third year. The pool was now huge and to the winner goes the spoils).

“Wayne, have you heard about my fantastic news,” said Cissie Summerly, fellow seventh year Slytherin, Chaser on his Team, and one of his arch-nemeses. Cissie Summerly was a strawberry blonde haired and blue eyed young woman. They irritated each other to no end. Last year, at the Victory Party, she snogged Billy in front of the whole school. Damian saw red, but thankfully, Mary hexed Summerly for touching her brother. “I’m the new Chaser for the Chudley Cannons!”

Damian glared at her. “What?”

“Just imagine it,” said Cissie, dreamily sighing. “Billy and I traveling the world together as teammates and then, he finally sees how perfect I am for him.” Damian growled.

“You keep your hands off of him. I told you that,” said Damian.

“And again, why should I? He’s not taken, in fact, he’s only goes on dates to not upset any of the girls,” said Cissie, smirking. “He had a growth spurt, good Merlin, that man is completely fit!” Damian abruptly stood up and marched out of the Common Room, with Summerly cackling in the background.

He went from the Slytherin dungeons to the Gryffindor house. Being friends with Mary, Jai, Irey, Lian, Freddy, Colin and Chris allowed Damian access to their area. Eugene and Pedro gave him access to Ravenclaw and Billy gave him access to Hufflepuff. He found the one person that he usually talked to about this stuff, in the corner brooding himself.

Chris Kent was his other best friend, who actually his best friend without any confounding feelings plaguing their friendship. Seeing as their fathers were also best friends, their friendship made sense. Chris listened for years about Damian and his feelings for Billy. Chris was a brown haired and brown eyed young man. He was the Gryffindor Keeper and a perfect too.

“Hey, Damian,” said Chris. “I heard that Summerly will be joining Billy on the team.” Chris was very good at hearing lots of good information around the school, due to his extra abilities. “I think it’s time you bring out your inner-Gryffindor and tell Billy. A long distance relationship is better than being just best friends.”

“Are you mad? You know I can’t. We’ve been over this,” said Damian, sighing, and glaring at him. Chris held up his hands.

“Do it before Summerly actually seduces Billy. He’s so good-natured, you know full well that he doesn’t like to hurt anyone’s feelings,” said Chris, knowingly. Damian scowled. Billy took Summerly on a few dates to Hogsmeade last year, much to Damian’s chagrin. Normally, Damian hid the fact that he hated all the girls that dared think they had a shot with Billy, but Summerly was a different story.

After receiving the silent treatment from Damian for two months, Billy told Cissie that there was to be no more dates and he apologized for hurting her feelings. In Damian’s mind, Billy chose Damian over Summerly.

Damian knew that Chris was just going to continue to pester him, so he went to go talk to Billy. His Head Boy status helped, along with getting the Map back.

Billy was in his room, he had a private one. He was reading. (Sometimes, Damian thought that Billy would have been a better Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. He was stupidly brave enough and wickedly smart).

“Hey, Damian, got annoyed with your housemates already,” asked Billy, grinning at him. Damian snickered. 

“Summerly’s on your new professional team,” said Damian, coming right to the point. Billy sighed.

“She’s a great Chaser,” said Billy, admitting. Damian admitted that also when Summerly joined the team in their third year. “But I told her that I was not interested. I know you don’t like her and I’m not going to do that to you.” Damian almost grinned. 

Billy made room for Damian on his bed. It was not the first time they laid next to each other on this bed. Sometimes, Damian didn’t even go back to his dorms sometimes. Better sleeping next to Billy than to his four nosy roommates, all of whom snored.

Sitting in silence with the man he loved, Damian knew that Chris was right.

“I am in love with you,” Damian said. He was not a person to beat around the bush, save when he was in denial and insecure. 

For a second, Damian thought that this was a mistake and he just lost Billy, when Billy pushed his book off the bed and grabbed Damian. To promptly kiss him, tenderly.

I should have done this ages ago, thought Damian.

“I love you too,” said Billy, breaking the gentle kiss. His face was red. “I was waiting for you to say it, because I didn’t want to rush you or anything, so yeah.”

“Waiting for me,” asked Damian, aware of how close he was to Billy.

“I was in love with you since second year.”

Damian kissed him on the mouth. “Third year, I’ve loved you. But I’ve crushed on you since first year.” Billy chuckled.

“I wonder who won the bet.”

Damian snorted.

(Chris went to the Slytherin Common Room and found the two girls he needed. Lyla Martinez and Cissie Summerly. “Alright, Summerly won the bet, Martinez. According to a horrified ghost, they were making out in Billy’s room.” Lyla squealed.

“About time,” she giggled. She pulled out her ledger from her bag and the bag of coins. Cissie smirked. She bet on them getting together on the first day of seventh, back when she was in second year and saw that her crush Billy was in love with Damian Wayne. Lyla handed Cissie the money and circled her name in the book. Lyla got up and ran out of the room, to spread the news. Chris crossed his arms and looked at Cissie.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Kent,” said Summerly, handing him half of the pot. Chris had been banned from the bet because he was both Billy and Damian’s best friend. Mary was exempt because she was Billy’s sister. While Damian’s brothers started the bet, they didn’t join the school one, they had their own private family bet. Chris thanked her promptly.

If Damian found out that he had been working with Cissie for the last two years to get those two idiots together, well, Chris was sure that Damian would forgive him, especially if Damian was getting snogged by Billy or the other way around or whatever. Now, he could afford the anniversary present for Clark and Lois).

46\. Letters to No One  
Prologue The Problem (Damian/Batman visits Billy in a UN refugee camp in Bialya)  
Part 1 The Quest (The Wizard puts Billy on a quest to gain the blessing of all the figures behind the powers of SHAZAM, just as Billy did to Freddy. Damian comes with him)  
Part 2 Heroes (Captain Marvel is back! He is able to pinpoint the location of the portals bringing the demons to the Earth)  
Part 3 Lost in Neverland? (Billy, Damian, Chris, and Lian get stuck in Neverland, trying to find a way out)  
Part 4 The Monster Society of Evil (Sivana and Mr. Mind were behind everything…The Justice League battles the Monster Society of Evil—Billy makes decisions)  
Epilogue Returns (Billy returns to the States, settling in Fawcett City and resuming his Captain Marvel duties but also starting a relationship with someone very unlikely)

48\. 3 Libras

…10 year old Damian and his friends (Maya, Suren, Nell, Ramsey, Maps and Colin) are at Gotham Museum when some dumbass starts bothering them, cue the arrival of 15 year old Billy, who’s class was on a field trip (Damian-side)…

…15 year old Billy tries to be good. It’s hard when Robin’s a little shit (Billy-side)…

…11 year old Damian as Robin helps the Justice League face the Monster Society of Evil and watches 16 year old Billy confront Dr. Sivana, his parents’ murderer (Damian-side)…

…JL v. LoA—Shazam/Billy notes that Damian is torn between his parents and does not find it amusing to see Damian fight another Heretic (Billy-side)…

…14 year old Damian was stuck babysitting baby Jack and baby Mary, fuming mad calls Batman at a JL meeting and demands help, Enter 19 year old Billy for back-up (Damian-side)…

…Not for the first time, Billy is babysitting Bruce’s grandkids and likes to because Damian actually likes his niece and nephew (Billy-side)…

…16 year old Damian is given an ultimatum by his grandfather to join the LoA or Ra’s will put hits out on Damian’s nieces and nephew. 21 year old Shazam tracks him down to talk him out of it (Damian-side)…

…21 year old Billy finds himself confronted with Black Adam and the corruption of power, but 16 year old Damian believes in him?! (Billy-side)…

…17 year old Damian gets his heart broken and he disappears from his family and Gotham; 22 year old Billy finds him and they talk (Damian-side)…

…His on-again-off-again girlfriend finally gives up on him. Billy understands but it doesn’t hurt any less. Damian tries to help (Billy-side)…

…Damian’s seventeen, Billy’s twenty-two and they got on a mission together (Damian-side)…

…The undercover mission had been a terrible idea in hindsight. Billy knew it was wrong, so wrong. He fucking hated feelings (Billy-side)…

…17 year old Damian gets his heartbroken again and immediately seeks out Billy this time (Damian-side)…

…Billy no longer has the heart to date anyone seriously. This causes some problems (Billy-side)…

…19 year old Damian finds it very irritating that Batson has serious commitment issues because every time Damian talks to Billy, there’s a new person that Billy’s dating (Damian-side)…

…Billy knew something shifted long before the undercover mission. He wasn’t stupid—he knew how Damian felt about him. Billy knew he couldn’t risk it (Billy-side)…

…Damian’s 19 year old and realizes that he maybe, kind of, sort of, in love with 24 year old Billy and he lashes out (Damian-side)…

…24 year old Billy bites his tongue every time Damian lashes out at him because he knew why but Billy quite couldn’t take it when Damian stopped talking to him altogether (Billy-side)…

…Damian agrees to help Billy out with a case. It turns out—there’s no case. It’s actually a date (Damian-side)…

…It was risking their friendship. Billy knew it was worth it. Damian agreed to be his boyfriend at the end of their first date. They just had to figure out how to tell Bruce (Billy-side)…

47\. Little By Little

Part 1- City of Devils, Billy’s relationship with the Justice League and with his foster family—Billy gets his powers at 13 in this verse, and joined the JL the following year, the JL been around for 3 years at this point when the story starts

Part 2- Caught in the Sun, Damian thought that he was done with his mother’s side. He chose his father, he chose Batman, and he chose justice. But the legacies of the al Ghul line isn’t just assassins, murder and Lazarus pits; Damian and the Philosopher’s Stone…Damian’s 13, several months after City of Devils

Part 3- High School Daze, Damian’s 14, Damian goes to high school; Damian and his circle of non-powered, except Colin, friends, Damian and his siblings: It's mostly Damian returning to Gotham Academy for official high school classes (because Alfred totally tricked him into going "Ah, yes I see Master Damian can't handle it Master Bruce" and of course, Damian sees that as a challenge). Damian's class consists of Colin (a scholarship student, thanks to Damian's meddling, of course), Nell (same), Maps (cause she's adorable af), Ramsay Spencer (the son of Manhunter, a minor DC hero), Madison Vale (Vicki Vale, one of Bruce's love interests, little sister), Theo Drake (a cousin of Tim), and original characters Lyla Martinez and Assad Muhammad for some more diversity in Damian's friends. And his school yard enemy Derek Powers (if you ever watched Batman Beyond, he's the future Batman's big enemy of season 1 but he'd be Damian's age in current timeframe).   
In addition, the class has like 15 kids named Robin/Robyn and other variations of the name because they were all named from one of the older Robins (Dick, Tim, and Jason) and they all annoy the hell out of Damian, who has to refrain from telling them about:  
-1st robin who falls asleep during breakfast into his lucky charms and eats marshmallows out of his hair during patrol  
-2nd robin who talks to his inanimate objects in his safe-houses "hello bed, hello pillow"   
-3rd robin the ass who once went two weeks without sleep and beyond a caffine-high caused the TT towers to go into Crisis-Def-Con mode which took Cyborg and the Flash 3 weeks to fix

Part 4- The Seven Deadly Sin, Billy’s 18, just started University, Zeus is an asshole, Billy’s powerless, given a quest. The Seven Deadly Sins of Man wreak havoc on the world. And Billy’s stuck with the Supersons and super cool Maya

Part 5- Take You Home  
-Watchtower: Jon White/Flamebird trying to meditate a fight between Billy Batson/Shazam and Damian Wayne/Nightwing—Damian leaves in a huff and goes patrolling in Gotham  
-Gotham: Klarion the Witch-Boy is trying to buy some stuff from an illegal underground black magic market in Gotham City (it’s all Batman’s fault because he never lets Shazam go to Gotham to take care of the magical mayhem). Nightwing descends on them, only to be hit with a magic powder  
-Fawcett: Billy just picked up his dinner from a Chinese restaurant and finds a poor black tabby cat walking on the street like a human…Billy engages the cat, who takes a liking to him  
-Damian is pissed that he got turned into a cat and magically transported to Fawcett and of course, he runs into Batson because this is his life  
-Billy senses something magical about the cat—takes the cat home with him  
-Damian wished that someone else picked him up and not Billy Batson  
-Damian’s thoughts on Billy Batson  
-At Billy’s apartment: Billy eats his dinner while watching the news—Damian the cat wants Batson to help change back to human now  
-Call on the phone: Bruce called Billy to ask about Damian—Billy “Well, he and I got into another argument at base and he stormed off to brood or sulk or whatever he does when he gets mad. What about the trackers you have on him? No, well, you know him, he likes to disappear sometimes…Remember when he first came to life and he left for about four months, besides that grumpy-pants Damian Wayne can take care of himself just fine. Okay, Bruce, I’ll call you if I find out anything.”  
-Damian is slightly irked that Billy and Bruce have such an amicable relationship  
-Batson is an animal person  
-Damian finds that as a cat, Billy treats him much better than Damian as human  
-Spending a week as a cat with Billy Batson:  
-master micromanager  
-visits sick children at the hospital, as Shazam  
-manages the magical balance of power  
-friends with Constantine of all people  
-studies hard and working hard on his college work   
-his blogs is important to him—defense of superheroes and their actions and his history and culture blog  
-counsels other college students  
-takes care of his family and friends very well  
-splits time heroing in Fawcett City and others cities when he’s needed well  
-At the weekly JL-meeting, Jon is worried about Damian not showing up to the weekly sparring match—everyone’s noticed that Damian is missing  
-Surprised that Billy spending time looking for Damian  
-That night at the apartment, Billy gets a call from a person (Det. Barden)—Damian discovers something very personal of Billy (see events of City of Devils, Damian did help try to find Billy but his father never told him what was really going on since he was so young then)  
-Billy talks to the cat that he named Blackie about things that he obviously would never tell another person, but an animal is safer to admit things to  
-Damian feels extremely guilty that he now knows Billy Batson’s deepest darkest secrets  
-Cat Damian is cuddled in bed by Billy  
-The next morning, Damian awakes to be completely naked but human again—Billy half-surprised…magic…has to borrow Billy’s clothes  
-“Hey, Damian, could you not mention to anyone what I told you when you were, you know, a cat?”  
-Instead of being insulting, “Not a word to anyone, Batson. I promise.”  
-A new respect for each other 

Part 6- You Run Away  
-United Nations building in NYC, Nightwing/Damian, Flamebird/Jon, Shazam with support from Red Arrow (Lian Harper) and Green Lantern (Milagro Reyes) and Blue Beetle/Jaime and Static/Virgil saved their lives after Vandal Savage attacked  
-Savage hired magical users—unfortunately, hit both Shazam and Blackbird, but since Shazam is so powerful it changed the magic  
-At the Watchtower, Bruce, Clark and Diana are watching amused as Billy and Damian, grown men, can’t walk more than 5 feet away from each other without a splitting headache and they keep arguing because apparently they can hear and feel each other’s thoughts  
-Bruce figures that the magic will wear off within time—so Billy’s temp. Relocated to Gotham (thankfully Billy doesn’t start back at school until fall when he starts his master’s thesis)  
-Sharing a room  
-Other awkward things, like going to bathroom, showers  
-Patrol  
-Batman’s Rogues are not pleased that Shazam is there with Nightwing (their baby Robin)  
-Hard to keep private thoughts private and that includes inappropriate thoughts (Billy especially has a hard time especially when he tends to have very panicky thoughts that he hides really well)  
-Awkward  
-Billy meets Damian’s friends (who knew he had friends out of the League and the Titans?)  
-Ramsey, Colin, Madison, Lyla, Nell and Maps (knew Maps, because Maps and Darla are friends)  
-More bonding  
-Damian relents after a couple of days to let Billy do some things in Fawcett since he knew how important it was to the older hero  
-Damian’s officially introduced to the Vazquez family: Mary, Freddy, Darla, Eugene, Pedro, and Mr. and Mrs. V  
-Back in Gotham, Joker’s playing another catch-me-if-you-can game with Batman and decides to go after Nightwing  
-Joker rues the day that Shazam was there ruining his fun because Shazam is a perfect bulletproof shield for Nightwing  
-Working better together—less arguing and more just snarky banter and their understanding and respect for other grew  
-In Fawcett, after threatening Darla’s latest suitor into submission which Damian thoroughly enjoyed, run into someone from Billy’s past  
-Billy’s abuser/attacker came to actually see him  
-Damian gets furiously protective when Billy panics (this is the man who faced Darkseid and other major supervillains when he was thirteen!)   
-The spell is broken and they can no longer hear each other’s thoughts and need to be around each other  
-But Damian finds that he misses Billy’s presence  
-Brings some food to Billy’s apartment—who welcomes him and a true friendship starts

Part 7- Run; Jon Kent and Maya Ducard are dating. Damian feels like he’s losing his best friends. Damian sort deals with it. Gets advice from Billy. 

Part 8- Maps  
On an intergalactic mission with the Justice League and the Green Lantern Corps, Shazam saves a dignitary’s son only to find out that on that particular world when you save someone you’re engaged. Billy has ONE MONTH to figure out how to get out of marrying an alien and being kidnapped to another world. As the JL scurries to find a solution to Billy’s problem, Bruce comes home after the above fiasco to find that his ex, Talia and her father (and his mortal enemy) Ra’s al Ghul were trying to sell his son Damian’s hand in marriage to the highest bidder on the Dark Net. Therefore, Bruce proposes a crazy plan—have Billy and Damian marry each other, therefore, saving Billy from his alien engagement and Damian from his meddlesome mother and grandfather. Billy and Damian are unamused with the situation. Everyone else thinks it’s hilarious.

Chapter 1 (the Problems and the Plan)  
-Off-World somewhere—after a battle, Shazam is confronted by the mother of someone he saved—a marriage proposal  
-Batman tells Shazam to turn back to Billy to show them but doesn’t matter  
-Billy’s panicking and blurts out a story about being already engaged to get married to a guy and the wedding is in a month  
-one of the other delegates explains the custom that saving someone on this world is ancient way of proposing only noble families still abide by it  
-The mother and the princess want to view the wedding; Billy totally screwed  
-Bruce promises that he will help, once back on the javelin   
-Watchtower: Bruce tells Clark and Diana to watch Billy and get him to calm down before he runs away again even if he’s a twenty-four year old man now; Batman has to check up on his own family, the rest of the League brainstorm ideas  
-Back on Earth in Gotham, Bruce comes home  
-The Cave: All his kids are in an uproar, Talia and Ra’s are bidding Damian’s hand in marriage to the highest price on the Dark Net to criminal overlords and the like  
-Damian, 22, is rightly pissed and murderous  
-Bruce is a genius after all  
-Bruce has a plan—grabs Damian and leaves to the Watchtower immediately, shocking the others and Damian  
-Billy still freaking out there in the cafeteria. Clark and Diana trying to calm him down.  
-Bruce announces that Billy and Damian will get married to solve both their problems  
-After twenty minutes of arguing with both young men, Billy and Damian reluctantly agree to get married for real and fake a relationship   
-The problem is that Talia won’t take Damian getting divorced well and Billy’s afraid that the alien mother and the princess will come back so the marriage will be permanent until either finds another  
-The Leaguers find it hilarious and congratulate the new couple  
-Billy won’t lie to his family, nor will Damian (except of course, Talia, Ra’s and Mara); the wedding will have to take place in one month  
-Can you plan a Wayne wedding in a month? Billy’s foster mother Mrs. Vazquez is professional wedding planner and already picked stuff out for all of her foster kids’ future weddings and Billy doesn’t want to break her heart.   
-Bruce agrees to fly her out to Gotham (where the wedding will happen, because Damian is a Wayne after all). Bette will have to help Mrs. V make it big  
-The next problem is that Damian will have to move in with Billy for the next month to get used to each other, practice being an in-love couple only because Billy is working on his master’s thesis and his life is firmly in Fawcett much to Damian’s chagrin  
-Damian has no choice  
-Clark will get Lois to write up the wedding announcement the proper way  
-Barbara, Cyborg, and Eugene will have to fake all the social media stuff  
-‘their story’  
-Bruce will organize everything—Billy to help Damian get things to Fawcett  
-Billy and Damian—Damian asks if Billy will be okay that they have to fake affection and PDA and kiss because he knew about Billy’s discomfort with touching most people  
-Billy—it’s fine, he trusts Damian  
-At the Manor, Dick and the rest of Damian’s siblings attack them with questions because Bette just got a phone call from Bruce  
-Damian leaves Billy to answer the questions to get a bag or two of things needed if he was going to live with Billy now  
-Damian and Billy go to Fawcett, drop Damian’s stuff at the apartment and then to the Vasquez house to call a family meeting—Batman already there though  
-More explanations and planning  
-Billy and Damian return to ‘their’ apartment and realizing that they will have to share a bed once again (like in Part 6 You Run Away)  
-The Batfamily, the Shazam family and the Justice League worked through so that when they both woke up at 10 in the morning, the news and social media was blowing up with the news that Billy Batson, superhero and history blogger, and Damian Wayne were getting married in a month and had been secretly together for a year  
-Billy shows Damian THE LIST (Billy’s super at micromanaging his life)  
-Damian intends to inform his closest friends—Jon, Suren, Maya, Colin, Nell, Lyla, Madison, and he’ll let Darla tell Maps  
-Billy goes to a meeting with his advisor and has to answer a lot of uncomfortable questions  
-News—Black Adam attacking the U.S. Embassy in Kahndaq (that just reopened too)—Billy goes off to stop his rampage  
-Surprised to find out that Black Adam is pissed that he didn’t know that Billy had a significant other, it’s weird to think that Black Adam is mad that Billy won’t have more time to battle him and insulted that he didn’t get invited because Billy was at Black Adam and Isis’ wedding when Black Adam was trying to be good  
-Damian’s day was not faring well as he popped over to Gotham—his siblings, his cousin and Brown were not helping matters  
-They were so excited—Dick and Bette called in all the Titans—his effing wedding reception is going to be a damn Titans party  
-Sends a warning to Batson about it  
-Damian has to explain what’s going on to his friends (Nell, Colin, Lyla, and Madison) but requires them to keep the secret—realizes that he’s going to have to track down Maya and Suren  
-Jon, off on a mission, calls, was told by his parents, thinks it’s hilarious  
-Damian can’t believe this is happening to him

Chapter 2 (One Month—Adjusting, Wedding Plans and Rehearsal Dinner)  
-It’s been a week since bedlam exploded in Billy and Damian’s lives and Damian is up at eight in the morning alternating staring at the plate of food that Billy left for him and at the ridiculously detailed Daily To-Do List that Batson keeps  
-Damian is baffled at all the things that Billy manages to do in one day between school, blogs, taking care of his family, superheroing, Justice League duties, chores, homework, pleasure reading, and volunteering  
-He knew that Billy had a bad habit of doing all those things but it’s only gotten worse since the last time he was forced into close proximity to Billy’s life (see Part 5 Take You Home)  
-Calls Jon, because best friends   
-Obviously interrupted Jon and Maya reuniting after a while apart on separate missions, so Jon just snaps at him to “I don’t know why don’t you just do some of the stupid shit for him, the stuff that he doesn’t need to do!?” And promptly hangs up on Damian   
-So goes grocery shopping (and is a little heart-warmed that Billy left a note for himself to ask Damian why kind food he like, other than takeout)  
-And laundry (Alfred made sure that all the of the kids knew how to take care of themselves; Bruce’s the only one that can’t cook well, do laundry without turning everything pink or bleaching it, etc.)  
-Texts Batson to stay at school, he’ll pick up his assignments from WHIZ Media  
-Cleans the house (not that it was messy in the first place)  
-Also cooks dinner, leaves Billy food to heat up  
-He goes to leave for patrol in Gotham  
-Billy returns home to find that Damian handled grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry and dinner and his assignments for new blog content were stapled on the kitchen table ready for him  
-Calls Mary and tells her what Damian did; he eats, actually doesn’t have to rush to write up new blog articles, and able to edit a chapter in his thesis AND do a couple speedy fly-through of Fawcett for trouble  
-a new routine, Damian just does half of Billy’s to-do-list without them even talking about it and Billy makes sure that he makes Damian breakfast and leaves him lunch and of course, cleans up after himself  
-the weekend hits  
-Tux fittings, with a designer friend of Bette Kane’s—Billy annoyed that he was pulled away from working on his master’s thesis  
-Billy is highly uncomfortable with the focus on him and strangers touching him for the fitting of the outfits  
-Bette watching them like hawks—asks them important questions courtesy of Mrs. V while they are standing there getting measured, who will be the wedding party for each  
-Damian rattles off: Dick and Jon as his best men because he can’t decide, Colin, Maps and Nell  
-Billy hadn’t actually thought about it, Damian’s taking far more serious than him, as usual: but there’s no choice to pick all of his siblings, Mary will be his best woman, Darla, Freddy, Pedro and Eugene  
-Bette asks if they want Bruce and Mrs. And Mr. V to walk them down the aisle or if they will walk together  
-Billy answers before Damian and because he wants to see Bruce walking his son down the aisle to be married, he says the first one and Billy doesn’t mind if Mr. V and Mrs. V walk him down the aisle, it’ll be kind of nice  
-Damian grumbles about it but he kind wants to know what Bruce will do  
-They stay while Bette tries on some outfits and Billy appreciative of the blonde beauty, but realizes that he’s supposed to be engaged so he looks at Damian after he realized he just ogled Bette and says “Don’t worry, you’re still my favorite, Damian.”   
-“You’re marrying me so I don’t think I’ll worry if you ogle my cousin, who is pretty for an old woman.” Damian retorts, realizing that they have an act to keep up  
-Bette amused and lets the old lady crack go  
-two weeks until the wedding; Damian moves completely in, sharing closet space, another dresser in the room, split the cabinet in the bathroom, and pictures that Dick forces him to take of his nephews and family so he can put them up next to Billy’s  
-Both wind up getting calls, during the days and nights, from Mrs. V (who’s in Gotham, supervising the wedding planning) and Bette about their opinion on things like colors, flowers, music, etc. etc. and other wedding stuff  
-Billy and Damian agree that whatever Mrs. V and Bette think is best is what they should go with  
-Except music, because Billy likes 1920s-1970s music and Damian likes the trash new shit/Billy likes ancient music and Damian likes modern pop, rock, rap, metal and soul of the 1990s-present music (you’d think that Damian would be a classical music type but no)  
-Freddy and Mary dying in laughter at the two of them arguing over music; Freddy suggests Elvis (because lol, what else? Mary and Freddy’s wedding was all Elvis covers)  
-Two songs they agree on: Wonderwall by Oasis, but using the cover done by Ryan Adams and Blue and Yellow by the Used  
-Going to use the traditional wedding march in the church  
-First Dance: “Can’t Take my Eyes Off of You” by the Four Seasons (Billy’s choice)  
-Second Dance: “Truly, Madly, Deeply” by Savage Garden (Damian’s choice, blame Dick, Jason and Tim for Damian’s choice in music)  
-They use rock, paper, and scissors to decide who was first and who was second  
-Then agree to each pick five songs each so that they at least picked out fourteen songs and leave the rest up to Mrs. V and Bette   
-A week before the rehearsal dinner and a week and day before the wedding, Billy and Damian realize that they will have to hash out some PDA/affection rules between them to sell it  
-And they have to practice kissing  
-Awkwardness ensues after kissing shortly several times  
-Until Billy gets a text that the mother and the princess are going to the JL Watchtower and watching the wedding live from there, so it motivates him to try more  
-starts easily by telling himself that Damian is family now and start giving him the affection that he gives his siblings and former foster parents and the older Leaguers  
-Damian doesn’t want him to force himself, if it is really that bad  
-Billy’s not uncomfortable like he usually was, but just shy because he never dated much and he’s not too sure how these things actually work  
-hair ruffles, short goodbye hugs, sitting closer together on the couch  
-develops into forehead and top of head kisses and hand holding  
-Damian is actually soaking up all the affection because he usually got it from his family (Dick, the baby boys, the Ladies and Alfred and his pets); but he only reciprocates hesitantly because he really does know how Billy feels about unwanted touching (see Part 6 You Run Away)  
-Several days before the wedding, drags Mary to appraise their ‘wedding’ kiss; success  
-The night of the Rehearsal dinner (meaning the next day they get married), Damian and Billy are not surprised about how many superheroes were invited out of costume and how quickly some people taken a liking to Billy’s family  
-From what Damian can understand that this is a private rehearsal dinner, so there’s very little strangers (save a few distant Kane and Wayne relatives that had to be invited on the family principle and Billy felt obligated to invite his faculty advisor because Billy helped deliver the man’s wife’s child)   
-Damian’s not-evil aunts and uncles via his al Ghul side also there (see Part 2 Caught in the Sun); but they think it’s a real wedding because Bruce doesn’t trust them  
-The wedding will be at the church that his paternal grandparents (Martha and Thomas) married in (another lovely family tradition); Bruce threw a shit ton of money to get the church to marry two men  
-Billy’s bored out of his mind and is reading a book on his iPhone and Damian is annoyed with him for not taking it seriously  
-They snipe at each other—Damian likes riling up Billy Batson, always did  
-Of course, his mother and grandfather and the rest of the evil al Ghul line were not invited, so of course they crash the party  
-Followed by Dr. Sivana and his family; and Black Adam and his family  
-In a room full of superheroes and vigilantes  
-An all-out melee ensues—Bette and Mrs. V are especially pissed because they worked so hard on the dinner for it to be nice  
-Billy and his family and other heroes have to not use their powers because of the non-in the know folks  
-Billy and Damian wind up fighting back to back  
-Superman ‘shows’ up and takes care of Sivana; Wonder Woman ‘shows’ up and gets rid of Black Adam  
-Bruce slipped away, only to come out as Batman and fight Ra’s  
-Talia doesn’t actually want to fight—she’s crying in Arabic “My baby didn’t invite me to his wedding...” Damian stunned and suddenly very guilty about not attempting to invite his mother, at least out of principle (cause even if his mother is a sometimes ax-crazy eco-terrorist who is possessive, obsessive and manipulative, Talia is still Damian’s mother)  
-Billy takes action, being his polite charming self that gets adults who don’t know him well to melt—“Ma’am, if you have your father call off the assassins attacking the guests, you are more than welcome to stay, as long as you are here to support Damian and you may come to the wedding tomorrow. You can walk Damian down the aisle with Bruce.”  
-Damian’s shocked when that appeases her; Bruce is ready to have a heart attack  
-Another family tradition (via the Vasquez this time), Damian stays at the Manor while Billy crashes at the Kane penthouse (not that is matters, but for show)  
-Damian actually nervous and he doesn’t know why; Dick gives him a pep talk  
-Billy is nervous and worried and Freddy calms him down

Chapter 3 (The Wedding and the Reception)  
-Damian wakes up thanks to Dick and Bette who are going to get him ready for the day—very annoyed; Jon tags along to be his very best asshole best friend  
-Meanwhile, Mrs. V, Mary and Darla burst into his room and kidnap Billy to get him ready for the day  
-Chaos at both the Kane Penthouse and the Wayne Manor  
-Superheroes and vigilantes who were invited flood the city and head to the church (the ones not close to Damian and Billy are basically on-duty protecting cities and the world)  
-Billy and Damian have to be subjected to wedding photographers detailing their day before the marriage (separate pictures)  
-The wedding ceremony will start at 10:30am and the reception will be in the afternoon because of the Batfamily and a lot of vigilantes’ patrols at night (and they all want to get the wedding done and over with because something will inevitably go wrong)  
-At the church, Billy is in a small room being fussed over by Mrs. V and Mary, with Freddy snickering at him. Talia enters and wishes to speak to Billy. Billy agrees, knowing that he could take her if he had to, so he tells Mary, Freddy and Mrs. V to head out of the room.  
-Talia gives Billy a highly insulting shovel talk including this gem: ‘I don’t think you are good enough for him. I don’t know what he sees in you. Know that if you emotional compromise my beloved son, you will regret your entire life and the lives of those closest to you’  
-Billy, feral grin, responds, icily ‘The only reason you are here is out of courtesy for the fact that you are indeed Damian’s mother. Make no mistake that he’s my family too. Nobody messes with my family.’  
-Diana bursts in the room (rocking some traditional Amazonian garb) to eye Talia. Talia leaves. Diana fusses too  
-Meanwhile, Damian is surprised to find that his father is having second thoughts about this whole thing; Dick, Tim and Jason are highly amused with the situation  
-Damian calms his father’s fears  
-The wedding needs to start  
-While planning the wedding, they decided that since Billy’s got choice of the first dance song, Damian was going to walk down the aisle first  
-The wedding march—variation of Here Comes the Bride/Groom, but an orchestra version (Wayne family money, you know?)  
-Damian enters with his father on one side and his mother on the other—his groomsmen and women were already at the altar, dressed in their wedding outfits, beaming (some out of amusement and others with actual happiness—Dick was already tearing up and Jon had a shit-eating grin on his face)  
-Finally at the front, Billy came down flanked by Mr. and Mrs. V who were beaming both with amusement and joy  
-Damian had to admit that Bette’s designer friend knew what he was doing with Billy’s suit; he looked very, very handsome (the thought made Damian fidget for a moment)  
-Locking eyes, Billy gave a calm smile that eased his nerves  
-Billy reached the altar; Freddy wearing a matching shit-eating grin on his face like Jon (best friends, am I right?)  
-The wedding- traditional  
-“Now you may kiss your partner.”  
-The Big Damn Kiss  
-Cheers and Tears from the crowd  
-Billy and Damian were herded down the aisle followed by their parties, their folks to outside where photographers waited for after wedding photos  
-They were eventually jammed into the limo (by Bette and Dick), driven by Alfred to get to the Wayne Foundation Hall at the Gotham City Museum of Natural History where the reception was taking place  
-Alfred was snazzy dressed and eyeing both young men in the back   
-Finally some quiet—both sigh; they were married, the matching silver bands on their left ring fingers signified it  
-Billy and Damian don’t talk, because they were already exhausted for the day  
-The reception was only for close friends and families (the big wedding was for show)—still it was an impressive amount of people (The Justice League and their partners/spouses, not all of them of course, but all the ones that were close to Billy and Damian, the Teen Titans (all three generations, all that could make it), the extended Batfamily, Det. Barden, Commissioner Gordon, Beautia Sivana, and some of the older Justice Society members, and the Al Ghul family)  
-Once clear of photographers for posed pictures, Damian and Billy are bombarded with the traditional after wedding congratulations tour of everyone  
-Hal and Carol—inform Billy in hushed whispers that Billy was in the clear with the alien princess who watched the wedding feed and sends her regards to the newly mated couple, as she put it, but the princess also said ‘when it doesn’t work out, I’ll be back for you’  
-Damian’s good-al Ghul aunt and uncles were horribly embarrassing: Masood ‘You were holding out on us, hiding this handsome fellow from us, Ibn Ukht’ (nephew)  
-Miraj and Jinan ‘From you, you mean.’  
-Sanya ‘I am glad that you married someone that angers your Ummi and Jaddi. I don’t think Baba’s face ever turned that shade of pale when you two kissed. It was quite excellent’ (mom, grandpa, father)  
-Damian embarrassed, so Billy holds his hand and charms the good-al Ghul aunt and uncles with easy smiles and compliments  
-Beautia Sivana is upset with Billy for not telling her that he was dating someone as gorgeous and rich as Damian Wayne, but glad that she was invited to the wedding  
-Damian feels the strange urge to drag Billy away from Beautia when she holds onto Billy’s arm for too long and especially when she says “I suppose I won’t have a chance with your friend anymore.’  
-Damian unintentional glowers at her, causing her to back off; Billy smiles gratefully at him  
-Dinner: It’s like an extended family meal, one side is Damian’s family and the other side is Billy’s family, with fellow superheroes and vigilantes nearby everyone is having conversations and overall getting along with each other (the horror of Jon, Jason and Freddy all getting along with each other and Damian just knows that they are plotting something, and from the annoyed look on Billy’s face, he thinks so too)  
-Damian really regrets the cracks about Jason’s hair and constantly stealing Red Hood’s helmets when he was younger (payback is a bitch) because both Jon and Freddy only need a little push to tease the shit out of their respective best friends  
-Billy and Damian’s face go from suspicious to mortified in about five seconds when those three start chanting ‘kiss, kiss’  
-When Dick and Mary join, Damian can’t believe that Dick would do this to him and Billy can’t Mary is condoning this behavior  
-It takes the cake when all the grown adults in the Justice League, amused, join and soon everyone (but Talia and Ra’s, who both are still reluctantly there) is and they have no choice  
-Newlywed kiss, ‘awws’  
-After dinner are the dances  
-Billy and Damian dance to “Can’t Take my Eyes Off of You” by the Four Seasons and then to  
“Truly, Madly, Deeply” by Savage Garden  
-Billy and Mrs. V dance to Vienna Teng’s “Lullaby for a Stormy Night” (Billy cries a little, missing his real mom)  
-Damian doesn’t dance with his mother, instead dances with Dick, to Plumb “In Your Arms” (no one says anything and yes I implied that Dick is parent-like to Damian)  
-Once that’s all said and done, Billy and Damian both escape the dance floor to let others dance to the rest of the music chosen  
-Cake  
-Eventually the party dies down—Damian needs to go on patrol, so he’ll meet Billy back at their apartment   
-Billy fully intends to go home and crash into his bed to sleep  
-But Mary drags Billy to their parents’ graves once back in Fawcett—Billy and Mary talk about what Billy just did  
-Mary “Maybe it’s a little unconventional, Billy, but you never know, you could wind up falling in love with him for real someday. There’s always the possibility.”  
-“I respect Damian and care about him as family, Mary, that’s all it’ll ever be.”  
-“What do you still think that you don’t deserve to have someone love you with their whole being? Damnit, Billy, you do! Just because Cissie fucking Summerly broke your heart back in high school and told you things that weren’t true, doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve love.”  
-“I have these powers, my responsibility, even if I share it with you and the others. You and Freddy were lucky enough to find each other and work through everything. Darla has Maps. Eugene and Pedro are both ace and don’t care about finding a relationship but they sure as hell would be better at it than me. A pretend relationship is one thing, but a real one is a whole other story.”  
-Billy goes back to his apartment and struggles to sleep  
-Until Damian comes in, freshly showered, and climbs into bed with him  
-Billy goes to sleep

Chapter 4 (First Month)  
-With the chaos of the wedding behind them, Damian realizes that he has a tail, no doubt his mother’s spy/assassin watching him  
-Has to check for bugs every morning, every evening and any time he leaves the apartment and comes back, Damian added it to the to-do list, which he is finding helpful  
-During dinner one night, they get the emergency beacon alarm sent to their phones—Billy to the JL Watchtower and Damian to Teen Titans Tower  
-Conference with the UN leaders, the DEO, Spyral, and ARGUS—apparently all the satellites, etc. with the space programs picked up transmissions from an old foe (from before the formation of the Justice League, just before Darkseid invaded), the Dominators (with Flash, Green Arrow, and their compatriots (i.e. their tech support and their fellow city-based vigilantes) defeated the wave of the invasion)  
-Being that Flash and Green Arrow dealt with them before, everyone agrees that they are in charge of protecting Earth  
-Damian/Nightwing mobilizes the Teen Titans with help from Tim/Red Robin and Jon/Flamebird  
-Billy and his siblings, gifted with powers of Shazam again, as well as the many heroes in the Justice League full-time and reserve are waiting for orders   
-Battle against Dominators  
-Shazam and his family are on civilian safety  
-Meanwhile, Nightwing is leading his team to infiltrate a ship and bring it down  
-Flash and Green Arrow manage to recreate the nanotechnology to stun the creatures that they used last time to get enough time to get rid of them again  
-Cyborg and Batman manage to create a large Boom Tube from Cyborg’s Mother Box to send the Dominator ships back where they came  
-It was a very long few days and Billy crashes home, followed by Damian, both fall asleep on the couch  
-A few days later, Billy is at his advisor’s office, still tired from the whole invasion thing, when his advisor informs him of an event that as a graduate student he must attend—a lot of donors and grant committee members will be there “Bring that handsome husband of yours”  
-Goes home for lunch and tells Damian that they have to go a party for his university the next day—Damian agrees since it’s in the afternoon and not in the evening  
-the next day afternoon, Damian finds himself in the FCU history department’s conference room (which was pretty big) surrounded by the graduate students, professors and the guests  
-Damian can be charming when he wants to be, Billy finds (kind of worried, Damian’s not known for his social skills)  
-Massive teasing from the other graduate students (Who are all single) about his husband  
-but things are successful, thanks Damian by buying him dinner  
-John Grayson’s birthday is coming up, so Damian asks Billy to help him buy a gift for his godson  
-Dick’s teasing texts about ‘how cute is it that you two are getting along so well ^_^’  
-They go to the nearest mall and spend some time in the toy section looking for something good for John—Damian insists that the gift has to be better than Tim’s gift  
-Billy finds this amusing; they have fun playing with the different toys, figuring out what was good  
-Find a bunch of cool things for John (and they also buy Peter Todd some stuff too, for his birthday in a few months)  
-John’s birthday party  
-A few early mornings later, Billy wakes up when Damian climbs into bed with a little more force than usual (Damian’s pretty considerate for Billy’s sleep habits); now awake, he turns on the light to find that Damian’s still in his Nightwing costume  
-Billy goes into his ‘mother-hen’ mode, at the sight of blood—immediately scolds Damian for not getting to Alfred to fix him up and what was he thinking, Damian tells him to shut up because he’s got a headache  
-Billy gets his first-aid kit (courtesy of Alfred, as a wedding gift, because and Billy will quote it, “Master Damian is notoriously stubborn about injuries and such. He doesn’t like the fuss.”)  
-Billy helps Damian out of his Nightwing outfit, which takes much longer than Billy knew—has to get some water to clean the wounds  
-“Stop fussing, it’s nothing.”  
-Damian struggles to be left alone because he can take care of himself Damnit  
-Billy growls “Stop moving” in a tone that Damian recognizes that he probably shouldn’t push Billy anymore  
-Damian relents and let’s Billy take care of his injuries in silence and a little bit of embarrassment

Chapter 5 (Second Month)  
-Billy brings a bunch of books home, so he can continue his research, because the geniuses in the University administration put a Starbucks in the LIBRARY and even in the rooms, Billy can’t concentrate  
-With Damian helping him out, he has more time to work, in between superheroing and his actual paying job  
-His master’s thesis is on trade routes and trade in general in Ancient Egypt and the other kingdoms—a lot of copies of primary sources  
-Works through the nights several times, eventually Damian comes home from patrol, after fighting Killer Croc again (thankfully not the in the sewers, it takes weeks to get that stink out of your skin)  
-Damian likes history too  
-Some common ground—though Billy focuses more on social and cultural history and Damian was taught military history from many experts (including Alfred, he was MI6 after all)  
-It’s nice to talk to someone that doesn’t stare at you blankly when you start talking about history because even though his siblings are great they like their own subjects more (Mary and Freddy with music, Darla with math, Eugene with engineering and computers, and Pedro with literature)  
-Sunday night dinner at the Vazquez house—all the siblings, Eugene brought a date! Mary and Freddy have an announcement  
-They are going to have a baby!  
-Billy’s so damn excited that he’s going to be an uncle and already they asked Billy to be the godfather  
-Damian finds Billy’s more excited than Mary and Freddy, who are probably internally panicking about being parents—he senses that Billy will want to go baby shopping with them and resigns himself to going with too  
-Patrols in Gotham and crime never changed—however, his brothers and sisters tend to be complete assholes about Damian’s marriage—Dick and Jason are the worst offenders of teasing him horrendous with every innuendo-laced joke they can come up with  
-The comments when Tim hacks Damian’s phone to read the texts between Billy and Damian are blush worthy  
-‘OMG, they sound so domestic’ – Brown squeals  
-Jason’s giving him smirks all the damn time  
-Tim, Cass, Harper, and Duke are not that bad, but still they snicker at the jokes  
-Barbara and Bette just smile like they know something he doesn’t  
-Dick is the absolute worst—teetering between being his annoying older brother and an overprotective parent  
-Bruce and Alfred are just exasperated with all of them  
-Easter Sunday: Even if Billy’s a non-practicing Christian and Damian’s a non-practicing Muslim and don’t care much for organized religions, they still volunteer at a church who is hosting several orphanages and foster homes to have an egg hunt  
-Damian never really did any of the volunteer things, except attending fundraisers (Bruce never really made any of them volunteer, opting to throw money at the problem, the only ones that did active charity work was actually Jason and Bette, which is how they got closer and fell in love in the first place)  
-Billy, Damian knew, volunteered both as himself and as Shazam as much as he could, to make the kids happy—an admirable trait to give the kids’ hope  
-Billy’s good with kids, but so is Damian  
-They enjoy themselves and then later, decide to go out to a diner to eat (Fawcett has two things going for it, besides its amazing University, diners and old-fashioned ice-cream shops)  
-They talk about Damian’s nephews and Billy’s coming niece or nephew—Billy admits that he never really thought about having kids of his own, in fear of screwing them up; Damian never thought about it either for the same reason, but admits to thinking about adopting, since his father done so with a lot of kids too  
-Billy—there are a lot of kids that don’t have anyone; fostering kids would be the first step, these days  
-Damian ‘are we seriously talking about fostering and adopting children? Our families would have a field day with how domestic we sound’  
-Billy snorts, ‘so your family teases you as much as mine teases me, huh? Assholes’  
-Damian agrees

Chapter 6 (Third Month)  
-Of course since they can’t go more than a couple months without shit hitting the fan—this time Sivana was broken out of jail by LE GASP Beautia, being mind-controlled by Mr. Mind, Sivana rallies his family and Mr. Mind gathers (mind rapes) allies from the various rogues’ galleries  
-The Justice League and the Teen Titans are not amused and so done with this shit  
-Billy/Shazam tracks down Mr. Mind, while the others handle the mind controlled enemies  
-All is well as Sivana and Mr. Mind are captured and imprisoned once again  
-About a week later, Billy is nearly done with his master’s thesis and is currently panicking and Damian only can sit by and watch him do so—in order to help his stress go down, Damian forcibly takes Billy’s To-Do List and makes sure that he doesn’t have anything to worry about but school  
-Damian even tells the JL that unless it’s the end of the world, Shazam is taking a break  
-And convinced Pedro and Darla to take up Shazam’s local duties (and he himself was going to patrol Fawcett at night instead of Gotham)  
-Billy’s grateful but still stressed, spends a lot of time at the university library (his thesis is done, it’s just that he has to defend it and he is going over last minute edits and such)  
-One night, Damian as Nightwing is monitoring Fawcett First City Bank after it was almost robbed earlier in the day, because the Bank’s vaults contain one of Sivana’s old inventions  
-Lyla, the new Lynx, his friend and classmate (and ex-girlfriend) arrives, Damian knew that she’s taken up Catwoman’s old accounts and even tried to dissuade her, but so long as they aren’t violent crimes his father told him to let it go  
-Friendly banter, tells her that she’s not getting in there  
-They fight  
-And Lyla flirts, but Damian as usual rejects her—Lyla brings up his husband and Damian snaps at her  
-She tries to kiss him as usual too  
-“Don’t make me arrest you.”  
-Billy’s done with his thesis and will start his doctorate in the fall  
-in the meantime, the university offered him an adjunct professor job teaching a couple of summer classes  
-He took it and so together, he and Damian go over his schedule and how to fit it in  
-Billy likes teaching he finds  
-One day he comes home for lunch to find Damian in a mood, because lo and behold Talia al Ghul is sitting in their living room  
-Awkward, she’s obviously checking up on them—Damian is hostile and Billy plays charming   
-But apparently through their actions and obvious signs of affections, they convince her everything is right as a rain  
-Talia, being who she is, brings up Lyla and Damian’s clash the other day  
-Billy “I trust Damian and if he says that nothing happen, nothing happened.” Include hand-holding, so Damian doesn’t try to gut his mother  
-Mother’s Day, Billy and Damian visit Billy’s mother’s grave along with Mary

Chapter 7 (Fourth Month)  
-Somehow, Damian and Billy had been convinced to take Mary and Freddy to all their doctor’s appointments to check on the baby—because Mary and Freddy decided that they want Damian as the godfather after seeing how good he is with John and Peter  
-Damian never had to do things like this before—Barbara and Dick and Jason and Bette never made him go to dr.’s appointments  
-Billy, of course, takes it stride  
-While they sit in the OBYN’s waiting room, Damian helps Billy grade papers and assignments  
-They meet an old foster sibling of Billy’s, who he saved from an abusive home-she’s pregnant and her boyfriend is super sweet, she’s so happy to see Billy again and thanks him for helping her  
-Billy accepts her thanks, embarrassed  
-She was glad to hear that he got married and Billy introduces Damian as his husband  
-Mary’s called and Billy congrats her and wishes her luck  
-Father’s Day- Damian goes to Gotham  
-And tries to spend the day with his father  
-Later, Damian and Billy visit Billy’s father’s grave (Mary’s too hormonally emotional to go this time)  
-Damian gets John, age 4, (who’s older than Peter, who’s 3) for a weekend (because of Dick and Babs’ wedding anniversary, they are going somewhere nice)  
-Damian loves his nephew/godson  
-Billy’s pretty excited to have John visit too  
-While Billy finishes up all the crazy stuff he has to do, Damian and John spend quality time together  
-They go to the park, where John makes a bunch of friends (which Damian’s not surprised that people like John, he’s the best parts of Dick and Babs)  
-Then, Damian takes John to one of the old-fashioned diners he and Billy frequent  
-And of course, Damian buys John a FC tourist shirt from a vendor because John wanted one  
-They got and pick up Billy from the University (all walking, well Damian’s giving John a piggyback ride)  
-John’s a pretty happy kid  
-He likes Billy and calls him ‘Uncle’ too (Peter and Allura also call Billy ‘Uncle’ as well as any of the other JL members’ kids)  
-They all go to the best ice cream parlor in Fawcett City—Fawcett City is like a step back in time, not like Metropolis with all its new shiny buildings and Gotham with its gothic and dour ones; Fawcett is a modern city but it has so many little hidden gems from its past that it’s a major throwback  
-John’s so happy—it’s his first sleepover and Damian knows that he’s spoiling the kid  
-Oh well

Chapter 8 (Fifth Month)  
-Very reluctantly Damian and Billy agree to go with their families (the Shazam family and the Batfamily) to Bruce’s private island for a couple of days of vacation for the kids  
-Peter and John decide that Damian and Billy are going to be their playmates for the day  
-Swimming  
-Beach picnic  
-Tag/Chasing  
-Back State-side, Damian investigates a stalker-situation that Colin discovered (one of Colin’s classmates)  
-Damian hates stalkers, but stalking the stalker is kind of fun  
-Damian and Billy spend an afternoon watching historical drama on Netflix while eating Chinese food and criticizing the historical accuracy like dorks  
-While doing this, Billy realizes that he is attracted Damian who looks quite dashing all relaxed and calm  
-oh shit moment  
-Billy has a crisis when Damian goes off for patrol—he calls Mary

Chapter 9 (Sixth Month)  
-It’s August  
-And Joker is going on a rampage, taunting Batman in Gotham so Damian is called home to help  
-Damian really hates Joker, if any villain he’s going to eventually kill and break a promise, because Joker is an asshole  
-Billy sends worried texts (because he’s dealing with a string of bank robberies with the FCPD)  
-Damian fights the Joker’s Army, alongside his brothers  
-He’s kind of tired of it all sometimes  
-Days later, Damian is trying to rest after the battle against Joker  
-Billy’s off at the University (also doubling on patrolling the city)  
-He gets a visitor that he doesn’t know—a blonde haired woman looking for Billy  
-She’s Cissie Summerly, Billy’s high school ex-girlfriend  
-Damian immediately dislikes her  
-Tells her that Billy isn’t home and he’ll tell him that she stopped by  
-She leaves  
-Billy comes home for lunch and Damian informs him of the visitor  
-Billy’s not happy  
-He tells him about his relationship with Cissie and how it broke his heart and also figured out that he’s demi-sexual (only sexually attracted to be people that he has a close emotional and intimate bond)  
-When he agrees to meet her, Damian gets offended for him—tells him that it’s a bad idea that she’s just going to fuck with his head again  
-Billy says that he can take care of himself and won’t let it happen again  
-They argue  
-Billy admits that he blames himself for his and Cissie’s relationship failing because he was too busy being a superhero  
-And Damian says that it wasn’t his fault and that he was going the right thing and that she wasn’t worth it  
-Billy knows that she’s not  
-They wax philosophical about being heroes

Chapter 10 (Seventh Month)  
-September, Billy starts his doctoral dissertation  
-Which adds a ton of workload to his schedule  
-This time, Billy and Damian have to look over their combined schedules to figure out how to get everything done  
-Mary visits and tells them they are like an old married couple  
-Teasing  
-They are helping her with baby shopping, since Freddy, Pedro and Eugene are working on the baby room in at Freddy and Mary’s house  
-Mary’s worried that Freddy’s going to dress the baby as a little Elvis all the time  
-Shopping spree  
-A couple weeks later, Jon comes flying through the window while Billy and Damian are eating dinner—Jon needs his best friend’s help because Maya’s mad at him  
-Jon and Damian start fighting—Billy scolds them  
-Damian and Jon stop but move to the couch and Jon tells Damian his problem  
-Billy makes Jon a plate of food from the kitchen and he doesn’t know why he’s so annoyed that Jon is hanging all over Damian  
-Billy reasons with himself that Freddy and him play fight all the time and are affectionate in a bro-way with each other and that’s the way that Damian and Jon are with each other  
\- (Jon knows that Billy’s glaring holes, as if he were the one with heat vision, into the back of Jon’s head and purposely doesn’t let go of Damian)  
-Billy thankfully gets a call from Freddy who needs help, because Mary’s hormones are out of whack, to calm Mary down, so he leaves  
-Jon immediately teases Damian about how close he and Billy became since they got married  
-Damian annoyed with Jon  
-Jon says that Billy was definitely a little jealous that he showed up and took Damian’s attention from Billy  
-Damian is baffled  
-and doesn’t believe Jon  
-Later, Damian comes home from patrol and goes to their room and realizes that   
-he loves Billy  
-very, very much  
-he curls up in bed and it’s really like coming home  
-He’s so screwed

Chapter 11 (Separation)  
-Bruce informs Billy and Damian that they are now relatively safe from Talia and obsessive space queens and their daughters, so Damian can come back to Gotham and go back to Fawcett when needed  
-Damian goes back to Gotham—it’s strange to be back at the Manor  
-He struggles  
-Damian misses the breakfasts that Billy makes for him; the little notes that he leaves, the stupid to-do list and Damian realizes that he’s very bored during the day; he misses the lunches and dinners he shares with Billy, he really misses Billy  
-He knows that he needs to talk to someone about this   
-So he goes to the one friend that he knows won’t give a hard time (Jon already suspects and he knows that a conversation about any of Damian’s feelings will get both of them started—and Dick was too overprotective for his own good)—Colin  
-Colin listens sympathetically as Damian spills all things to him  
-Colin gives him advice (Are you sure that you’re really in love-in love with him? Give it time and see)  
-Four weeks passed and Damian gets an excited phone call from Billy—Mary’s in labor, so of course, Damian goes to the hospital to wait with Billy and his family (their family, he reminds himself)  
-Seeing Billy in person reaffirms that he does in fact love his husband  
-Damian hugs Billy out of the blue, shocking Billy but it’s quickly returned  
-Mary’s in labor but not dilated enough  
-Damian recalls when Barbara and Bette both had their babies (both needed C-sections actually)  
-“Remember when he’s an angst-y teenager you can claim that you spent such-and-such hours in labor to bring him into the world,” reminds Billy, grinning  
-Mary’s glad that Damian came too  
-Baby William Otto Freeman is born on Nov 6—Billy’s very touched that they named their son after him (Otto was Freddy’s grandfather’s name)  
-Damian doesn’t want to go but he’s got to get back to Gotham, but Billy asks him to come have dinner with him  
-Damian agrees  
-Damian eventually goes back to Gotham, leaving Billy to go back to the apartment  
-Billy’s been struggling without Damian; he knew it  
-He hasn’t been sleeping well because well, all the stuff that Damian used to do to help out, Billy has to do and he still has to work on his dissertation, grade papers, write blog posts and do podcasts, not to mention chores and his duties with the JL and as a hero and a champion of magic  
-It’s strange to wake up in the morning and Damian’s not there, curled up like a cat at his side  
-He really misses Damian so much  
-Time passes and the New Year rings in  
-Unfortunately, Warworld is racing towards Earth and it threatened to crash into it destroying everything   
-The Justice League assembles  
-And stops Warworld thanks to the Mother Box Cyborg has  
-But, Damian, who was on Earth with a lot of the vigilantes dealing with damage control with the debris and some aliens, who had been forced to fight  
-Gets word that Billy’s in the med-bay and hurt  
-Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are talking outside of the med-bay when Nightwing/Damian arrives  
-His father informs Damian that Billy lost his powers for some reason and he was in the middle of a fight with Mongul’s sister—Billy has two broken ribs, a broken leg and a concussion  
-They don’t know what happened

Chapter 12 (Powerless)  
-Damian and Billy talk in private  
-Billy’s hurt and scared and angry  
-Damian tells him in no uncertain terms that he’s staying in Fawcett with Billy until the Wizard or whomever gets their heads back on straight and give him his powers back  
-Not to mention, Billy will need help getting around  
-Damian is Billy’s husband after all  
-Billy doesn’t know who he is without his powers and Damian tells him that is bullshit  
-Damian believes in him   
-Back at their apartment, they fall quickly into their old routine, the only difference is that Damian hovers all the time—takes Billy to work (he brings one of his father’s cars from Gotham) and picks him up and otherwise cares for Billy   
-Billy’s depressed, although he tries not to show it in public  
-There are nights that Billy can’t even sleep until Damian returns from patrol (he’s taken to patrolling Fawcett instead of Gotham just to be closer)  
-There’s cuddling and snuggling  
-Damian is affectionate with him, no longer wary because Billy trusts him and enjoys it  
-Damian realizes that this is where he’s supposed to be

Chapter 13 (Staying)  
-Three months later Billy’s physically healed (thanks to his own body’s willpower, alien medicine and magic), but he’s still dealing with not being a superhero and having powers (and with him not having his powers, means that his siblings don’t have theirs)  
-Billy and Damian go over reasons why his powers got revoked and can’t come up with anything reasonable  
-Billy goes to the Rock of Eternity via the subway to talk to the Wizard’s ghost to see   
-Goes alone, although Damian’s waiting nearby   
-Will be eternally grateful, but also embarrassed because Damian saw him weak and useless and Damian was supposed to be his partner and how can Billy ever really compare to him?  
-The Wizard’s ghost admits that it was he that took Billy’s powers away  
-Billy gets mad at him—“WHY? Why? I’ve been doing my best. Haven’t I lived up to your expectations? I’ve become a better person by having these powers.”  
-Wizard “You are a hero, Billy Batson. You become the person that you were always meant to be. But it was not the powers that did it; you did. I didn’t take away your powers because you were failing as a hero and my champion. You excelled at that. No, I took your powers away because you are failing yourself by not being honest to your heart because you are afraid of what you feel. I can’t have my champion fail at living a life worth living, because being a hero doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have people to love and care for.”  
-Billy’s confused; he’s been good to his family though  
-Sensing that Billy needed a push “There’s a person waiting for you at the subway entrance to the Rock of Eternity, Billy. The person is Damian Wayne, yes. I know that you married him to get out of a misunderstanding on an alien planet and he married you to avoid his mother and grandfather from kidnapping him and forcing him to marry someone undesirable, yes. He is your friend, your equal, but he is more now, more than you ever expected and you are scared.”  
-Billy stares at the Wizard  
-Billy realizes that he loves Damian  
-And that he’d been avoiding admitting to himself because he was afraid that it would ruin everything and he’d lose Damian  
-Billy and the Wizard have a stare-down until Billy breaks “I love him. He’s the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with. But I am scared, Wizard. You know I am. I know I am. What am I supposed to do now?”  
-The Wizard laughs softly “Ah to be young and in love again. To your question, Billy, it’s truly up to you. As you are no longer lying to yourself, say my name and you will have your powers back. Good luck.” He vanishes  
-Billy’s trek back to Earth—he’s lost in thought  
-And when he sees Damian, he’s glad that he admitted that he loved Damian  
-Grabs Damian’s hand and tells him that the Wizard gave him his powers back, but “can you stay with me a little longer?”  
-Damian assents

Chapter 14 (Protection and Faith)  
-Things are back to normal  
-Bruce questions his son’s decision to stay in Fawcett indefinitely not that he minds, just curious—Damian says that Billy needs someone to watch after him and Damian elected himself to that   
-Billy’s doctorate continues, as well as teaching  
-He gets a new student named Mara Reed  
-She’s a nice young woman, reminds him a little of Damian for some reason  
-She starts coming to him for extra help understanding the material  
-Billy suspects nothing, but Darla does  
-Darla doesn’t like it—she doesn’t trust the way that Mara Reed is looking at her big brother and the fact that Darla knows that Billy and Damian are so into each other at this point, it would be bad for someone to fuck up their developing relationship   
-Darla wanted nothing more than for Billy to be happy  
-Darla texts Maps (who is visiting her brother and his wife Olive in Gotham to tell Damian that someone is totally hitting on and kind of stalking Billy—because Damian is in Gotham on babysitting the nephews and new baby niece Katherine ‘Katie’ Todd)  
-Maps does just that  
-Darla managed to snap a picture of the woman  
-Maps tells Damian and shows him the picture  
-It’s Damian’s crazy cousin Mara Al Ghul. It’s definitely a set-up by his mother and grandfather  
-He tells Maps to stay with his nephews and niece, who agrees  
-He goes directly to Fawcett City to the university where he knew that Billy was using one of the library private study rooms for tutoring  
-Damian barges in, in time to see Mara reaching out to touch Billy, who’s become very jumpy at the moment  
-Damian goes into an overprotective rage—He confronts Mara and the two cousins’ fight  
-Billy watches, trying to regain his calm  
-“Listen to me and listen to me, clearly, cousin. You, and you let grandfather and my mother know this, you ever think about coming near my husband or my real family, I will find all three of you and kill you, breaking every promise I ever made to myself and to my father. You and I both know that you are no match for me and never will be, Mara. So leave and pray to Allah that I don’t ever see you near my husband again.”  
-Mara smirks, like she learned something great and she breaks out of Damian’s hold and flees

Chapter 15 (Promises)  
-Damian immediately turns to Billy to fuss over him, asking him if he’s okay   
-Then he scolds Billy for letting his guard down  
-Billy smiles at him and then hugs him tightly  
-Damian heart-pounding “I promise that if it is in my power, nothing will hurt you again, Billy.”  
-Still hugging, Billy speaks “Thank you for everything up until now. I don’t know if you know how much I appreciate you and everything that you do for me and for our family, our very big and extended family. So, I promise that I won’t let my guard down with strangers again, so I won’t be the cause of breaking your promise not to kill.”  
-Damian knows he’s blushing and realizes that he doesn’t mind being in love at all  
-Billy is thinking the same thing

Part 9- Take My Hand (Conclusion)  
(Billy and Damian have been married for two years, but neither have admitted their feelings for each other. Bruce and company are so done and meddles. Misunderstandings ensue. Will they finally admit it?)

Chapter 1 (Confession)  
-A year has passed since the events of Maps  
¬-What’s been going on with them: Billy’s still working on his dissertation, and Damian started vet-school  
-Damian and Billy continue to live together and be all domestic and married together, without ever talking about why  
-It’s like a silent understanding  
-But even so, they both have anxiety and such about their relationship  
-Everyone is so done with them, especially Bruce, who wants his son to be truly happy and make up his mind  
-And Bruce wants Billy to be happy too  
-Bruce decides to meddle with help from Billy’s family and the Batfamily  
-Bruce tells Damian that he needs him in Gotham   
-And then sends Billy on an off-world mission with the JL  
-Pining ensues   
-Billy is low-key  
-Damian thinks he’s not obvious but he totally is  
-Billy returns home, thinking it better not to bother Damian if the Gotham scum are being troublesome doesn’t text him that he’s home  
-Damian eventually manages to call his father on bullshit and goes back to Fawcett City to find Billy home and sleeping on the couch  
-Damian is slightly annoyed that Billy didn’t call him  
-He knows it’s irrational  
-Really, he does  
-Makes dinner  
-Billy wakes up to eat—notices that Damian in a mood  
-Billy, being Billy, asks if everything is alright in Gotham and if there was anything he could do to help  
-Damian is kind of snippy with him so Billy drops it; he’s been able to read Damian pretty well—when to get him to talk and when to leave him alone, more specifically  
-But later when Damian goes back to Gotham and doesn’t say goodbye—Billy’s worried—did he do something to make him mad?  
-Meanwhile, Damian is beating himself over being so irrational and impatient and it’s not Billy’s fault that Damian is such a Bat when it comes to relationships  
-Decides to observe/investigate the couples surrounding him—because maybe he should talk to Billy about his feelings for the older man and then maybe Damian won’t feel so anxious all the damn time  
-Father and Selina  
-Dick and Babs  
-Jason and Bette  
-Tim and Stephanie  
-Cass and Harper  
-Kate and Maggie  
-Jon and Maya  
-Maps and Darla  
-Mary and Freddy  
-Damian decides to be upfront with Billy  
-The next day, Damian apologizes for being grumpy the day before  
-Billy forgives him, like always, but he asks what it was about  
-When Damian says why, Billy starts laughing  
-“You’re so freaking adorable sometimes, I swear my heart can’t take much more”  
-Awkward pause, beat, blushing  
-Billy totally didn’t mean to say that out loud  
-Can’t even attempt to backtrack so he quickly changes the subject  
-Damian’s like, no, backup, no changing the subject, what did that mean  
-Billy “well, it’s like a fact?”  
-Damian goes into rant mode about why Billy’s so confusing, etc. etc.  
-Eventually blurting out his feelings  
-Blushing, blushing  
-Billy says it back  
-Awkward silence  
-They talk philosophical about love and relationships and agree to be completely honest with each other  
-And try to accept the love the other gives

Chapter 2 (Honeymoon)  
-Billy’s in the middle of a crisis. He’s 26 he shouldn’t be having one  
-In terms of his sexuality, Billy always knew that he was type to not really care about sex in itself  
-He’s really only attracted to people that he has a strong personal bond with  
-So now that Damian and him have been an officially, official married couple for two months (and two years of their ‘dating’ but still as married legally), Billy realizes that he may want to actually have sex with his husband  
-Well, not may…definitely   
-Billy’s a virgin (Never been with another person that way), but Damian isn’t and he’s more experienced in that area than him  
-Damian’s really distracting lately  
-The thing is that Billy has reservations about the whole idea of sex because he really likes what Damian and his relationship is  
-mutual trust and camaraderie and being there for each other  
-And the domestic side of things too  
-And being history nerds and doing superheroing together  
-He’s seen relationships get fucked up because of sex (because you become too dependent on that part and not the other parts which are more important for long-lasting relationships)  
-Make-out session turned into philosophical yet important chat about their relationship and what they want  
-Go slow and see what they like basically—it’s really embarrassing but they need to talk about it  
-Damian, of course, is super understanding and willing to wait because it turns out that Damian actually wants Billy that way so…  
-Four months later (two and a half years after they got married)  
-They are on their honeymoon, for a well-deserved week off  
-It’s not awkward at all  
-Buildup and anticipation  
-And…not quite there yet but working on it

End

So there you have it folks. All the little things that I was going to write, but just don’t have enough time for. I pass it on to all of you.

Keep on writing and have fun!


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